Subsize Me!
by White-Monsoon
Summary: Alice comes over for tea at the Hatter's but drinks something forbidden and now she's...small? She must wander wonderland in search of the antidote, avoiding the role holders who might want to play with her 'being doll-sized' at all costs.
1. A Potion that Makes you Shrink

Summary: Alice comes over for tea at the Hatter's but drinks something forbidden and now she's...small? She must wander wonderland in search of the antidote, avoiding the role holders who might want to play with her 'being doll-sized' at all costs.

**AN: for the chapter names, I will name the '6 impossible things before breakfast' from the Alice in Wonderland movie and if Alice doesn't get the antidote by the end of the sixth...I'll improvise :). Enjoy! **

_**Chapter 1: A Potion that Makes you Shrink**_

Tea at the Hatters seems the least normal compared to other territories. The Mafia boss aka Blood Dupre would be most pleasant at the tea party whereas if he has decided to do business with you, it is advised to you fairly: RUN! It'll give you one more day of your life. At some point, that little thought was enough to pressure a certain someone's departure.

However that was the least of one's problems, Dee and Dum, the Tweedles were cute and fairly innocent to any living human being but even at today's tea, they hid their favorite scythes behind their chairs as to make sure the party wouldn't get boring for children like themselves.

That just left Elliot March, Blood's right hand man (or was it left?). Now, Elliot is-.

Well, he is-.

He is the prime March Hare who is too stubborn to let the guest foreigner, Alice Liddell to tug at his rabbit-like ears. That _has_ to be a crime somehow.

Alice sat at the far end of the table in between Blood and the twins. From there, all she was visibly concerned about was the Tweedle's scythes that sparkled their sharp ends at Alice almost mockingly.

"onee-san, is staring at our scythes!" Dee announced gleefully

"She must want us to test it on her!" added Dum. The idea sunk in and her face drained completely of color.

"now now, we mustn't frighten the young lady out, she is too precious to be leaving so soon" that seemed dreadfully suspicious coming from Blood himself. So Alice ignored the man's comment even as he started to play with a dangling strand of her hair.

"That's right, Alice hasn't tried our famous White tea yet" Elliot said

"Oh, hasn't she?" Blood brushed at her bangs and Alice immediately shook him off.

"What's 'White' tea?" she grimaced

"Oh, we're not talking about anything related to Peter 'White'" Elliot chuckled and shook his hands in front of him, relieving Alice.

"It's this special tea we stol- er, _bought_ from another territory. It's no doubt, pure white even the steam is lighter than usual. Plus, it tastes just like carrot cakes!"

"Stupid newbie-hare, it tastes nothing like carrot cakes, it tastes more like" Dee thought for a moment "chocolate"

"No it doesn't, it tastes like caramel!"

"All the more: chocolate, brother. Everyone knows they're the same" Dum seemed to contemplate a great deal on that last note. The three continued to bicker but Alice hardly paid any attention to it. She tried to think of a tea that held a flavor of carrot cakes, chocolate AND caramel.

"Must taste…special" she said

"It _is_ special" she heard Blood say at her right, her head swiveled toward him.

"It manipulates your taste buds whichever flavor you consider favorable" as he briefly explained this, two maids approached the table holding two stout teapots, placing them down cautiously and quickly leaving.

Nothing was different with the teapots considering appearance, they both had the same Plain Jane design and both were just, white. Porcelain white.

"One of 'ems White tea the other's boss' personal tea" Dee hyped up, halting his short fight with the hare.

"So how will you know which tea to drink?"

"We guess!" Dum smiled

"It's kind of like a game" Elliot went on

"And guests are normally the first to play" Blood gestured to the teapots and Alice hesitantly reached for the one on the right.

"How will I know which tea is which?" she might as well have asked 'what will you do to me if I drank the wrong tea?'

Blood smirked "you can tell by the taste" Alice neurotically gulped in a sizable amount of saliva before pouring some tea for herself.

"Anyone else want to go first?" she attempted for the last time but it died down in silence.

"No? I guess not" she sighed. No turning back, she thought. She sipped.

Saying it was good would be a terrible understatement; it was amazing, warm, creamy. She couldn't help but finish the whole cup in less than five seconds, a few drops sinking in the top of her dress. It left this peculiar craving at the tip of her tongue. She licked her moist lips.

"Is this White?" too late. She peeked at the transparent tea and saw her own reflection however nothing was white in terms of hue.

"You lose!" the twins snickered.

"Ok, I lose" Alice raised her hands up in defeat.

"So what kind of tea is THIS then?"

"Black" came Blood's voice

"Black Tea"

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

Alice's eyes fluttered open to the queer loud sound of curtains flapping harmoniously at her window side and also due to the fact that the sun was literally blinding her. This never happened before in Wonderland, she'd normally wake up to Julius' clocks being noisily fixed in the other room.

Getting up to a sitting position, she realized that she wasn't at the clock tower. Her eyes were still partly blind because of the morning wake-up call and all she could make out with her terrible eyesight was a prestigious overlarge cabinet beside a beautiful overlarge lamp.

"Gosh, I'm still at the Mansion" she cried in epiphany.

What happened at the tea party yesterday? She couldn't remember. Waking up in the guest room of your tea party host's mansion seemed pretty natural but why couldn't she remember all this?

"Onee-san, are you awake?" incredible banging came from the exterior part of the door and Alice clutched at her throbbing ears.

"Quit banging the door!" she cried

"Oh, so she _is_ awake" Dee's voice, she could tell.

"Hm, I don't think we should bother her in the morning" (Dum)

"Yeah, she might not like it... Let's take a vote!"(Dee) Alice groaned in disappointment.

"Your right brother, all in favor of going in?" (Dum) a moment of silence followed.

"Majority wins" the door slammed open with a resounding BANG and all could do was cover up her ears yet again to keep herself from growing deaf.

"Stop being so noisy in the morning!" she complained, turning to face the towering twins so she could give them a piece of her mind. And when she meant 'towering', she meant it. They could almost pass for the Twin Towers back in the real world, especially in their gray checkered pajamas. Alice cocked an eyebrow at them.

"Hey, did you guys get taller?"

"Did _we_ get taller? Or did _you_ get smaller?" Dum pointed a shaky finger at her and Dee just bobbed his head, both were in a state of pure shock.

"What are you talking about I'm not-" she abrupt her objection once her tiny fingers grappled a very thick and rather _heavy_ blanket sheet, her legs being completely shackled in a sea of bright blue and cartoon stars. She eased them out, her long striped socks resembling white worms entangled in aqua.

"Onee-san is a Barbie doll!" that's when it all made sense, the blinding light, the loud sounds the curtains made and the overlarge furniture. She scanned her body for any change. So far: none, let alone the fact that she was the size of a plastic doll.

She would've screamed, kicked, cried, do tantrums, anything to get her body back to its original height. Anyone normal would've done that and yet she was frozen shocked.

Then again, this was Alice. She was different.

She looked up at Dee and Dum, their big faces closing in on her in observation. "This is a dream, right?"

Dee suddenly began to grin. "If it was, then this is the best dream yet"

"Agreed brother, I like the idea of onee-san being a doll" Dum gave out a laugh but the foreigner paid less attention to it. She was too distracted pinching her arm multiple times only to successfully yelp like a Chihuahua.

"Ok, so I'm not dreaming"

"Could've fooled me" Dum remarked. Alice paced the matress in a worrisome pattern. It was so large that it appeared to her like the Western desert. 'it must've had something to do with last night' a voice in the back of her head caused her fingers to snap like a detective with a clue.

"Dee, Dum, what happened last night?" she faced the two boys who had big grins on their complexions which could've been invisible if she was her normal size.

"You want to know, really?"

Alice huffed out a "Yes". And just like that, it was as if she had sold her soul to two living devils.

"Play with us then, onee-san!" clapped a-very-happy Dee.

"Yes onee-san, play with us" Dum captured her right arm between his thumb and pointer finger "and we will tell you everything!" Alice gazed at them suspiciously, her eyes narrowing just as quick.

"Promise?"

"Promise!"

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

"Onee-san, hold still!" Dee cried, bringing down his axe.

"No way that's gonna happen!" Alice dodged the weapon and ran like her life depended on it. And upon reaching a dead end, she whirled around just in time to see one of her two enemies lower down a-

"Wait a sec', I need a drink" being small, she jumped on the 'start' button to pause the game and dashed outside the Tweedle's room towards the kitchen.

"How will she open the fridge?" Dum tapped on his PS3 console, careful not to click any buttons. His brother shrugged

"Beats me, I guess she'll go for the Pepsi we left on the floor when we were watching 'Spongebob' last night" true enough after two consecutive minutes, Alice came back, struggling with a half-filled Pepsi drink that was precisely her height.

"How about giving me a hand?"

"Nah, come on, Onee-san! I'm about to slice you up" she groaned, she was getting tired of this. Dropping the enormous soda drink, she grouchily put both of her hands on her hips and stared hard at their crouched backs, finding the pattern of their shirts pretty interesting in this height.

"Enough games, Dee, Dum, what happened last night?" Dum peeked from behind his shoulder before shifting his entire form towards the living doll.

"No clue"

"What?"

"He said 'no clue'" his counterpart reversed himself.

"I heard what he said" said Alice. She would've smacked them in her normal height but under the circumstances, she didn't.

"so, you guys LIED to me?" she glared at them as if they were traitors, which was almost a convincing label with what they promised.

"Hey, we kept our promise, onee-san!" she cocked her eyebrow yet the two children didn't notice it.

"We said 'we'll tell you everything' but we know nothing so no point in the 'everything' part, right?" the fact massaged itself rather slowly into Alice's head. For a moment there, it seemed the twins had outsmarted the older foreigner but then again, with her being this size, the excuse was obvious. Not only had her physical appearance shrunk but her _brain _has shrunk too.

"So why didn't you guys just tell me you didn't know anything? I could've asked Elliot or Blood"

"We wanted onee-san to play with us!" they chorused innocently.

She slapped a hand to her forehead, repeating things like 'I should have known' or 'just kill me now'. Alice decided that she better do something before the 'fun-sized' effect grows permanent. She whirled around swiftly and headed for the door.

"I'm going to try Elliot, I think he'll know what happened last night" she expected them to whine, complain or whatever children do when they don't get what they want but they just remained...quiet. Eerily quiet. Her eyebrows furrowed once she felt this strange aura, a tingling goose-bump trailing her skin. Her left foot paused mid-way.

"Dee? Dum?" she peered over her shoulder and saw them with their scythes, raised and sharpened so skillfully it sparkled at the end.

"er, I'll be going, alright?" she faced them, attempting the best mother-like face she could recreate. Their dark expressions didn't falter.

"Oh but onee-san can't leave now" Dum nodded

"Yes, we haven't finished our game yet" a glint shown in both pairs of eyes and Alice took a hesitant step back.

"I'll finish the game with you guys when I get back to normal size"

"It's okay, onee-san, we could finish it now" said Dee

"I agree so where was I?" Dum tapped his chin thoughtfully. Alice's instincts tugged on her, demanding that she'd get a move on fast.

"Oh right, I was going to slice you up" this wasn't a game any more, Alice realized.

There eyes blinked into a malicious unnatural blood-red pigment and although, it was normal for one twin to have those eyes, it just wasn't the same this time. Their blood-shot orbs had no sign of the children they were moments ago. It was similar to their youth disappearing and in its place, possession, need, want. Dum stretched his limb thus bringing up his weapon and that was a signal to Alice.

Run. She did. Her hands curled around bits of her aquamarine dress, allowing her to uplift her dress an inch to allow her feet to move. She missed Dum's scythe by a second.

"No fair, onee-san cheated!" he cried, chasing after the tiny figure. Dee's scythe came hurtling towards her, slightly cutting the sleeve of her dress and stuck to the wall on the opposite end.

"Mission: throw-weapon failed, brother"

"It's alright brother, we have her on the run" the truth in their words calmed Alice less and she searched for an escape route. Only one option since Dum went to shield the door. The window. She made a wild dash for it, dodging a rain of her-size action figures and scary knives. She grasped the curtains of the window and began to climb.

"She's escaping!"

"No duh!" the foreigner panted, easing up to the base of the open window. She could already smell the fresh cool air that seeped through the rectangular opening.

RIP! Alice toppled to the ground and the curtain fell on top of her, sandwiching her painfully. "good throw, brother" one of the Tweedles remarked but personally, she didn't care which one. She's learned that with her being so fragile and tiny, garments and cloth were always heavy so she crawled out of it with much difficulty. Her waist was still caught in the curtain when she spotted the item used to cut the curtain.

A butcher knife. What the hell was a butcher knife doing in the kid's room?

"Quick, brother! The window!" Dee didn't have to be told, he charged for it.

Alice had two options in ten seconds. Give in and let them finish their game which ruled that they should kill her. Or the neighboring mouse hole one foot away. She grunted, no way is she going in there. It was an open doorway leading outside however it was decorated with spider webs and dust bunnies. It was dark and gloomy like the outer part of it was so far away. No sign of any living critter so far but who knows when one will decide to go home.

"Now onee-san can be _our_ toy forever" Dee's maroon eyes sparkled.

"Yes, forever and ever" Dum walked melodramatically her way, holding up a black-hilted knife.

Their 'special treasure'. She remembered them mentioning it to her and that they wanted to...try it on her. Ok, maybe creepy hole in the wall didn't look so bad.

"So long boys!" Alice called back. Eyeing her exit, she scrambled inside. The knife skimming past the split ends of her hair just barely.

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

"Um, brother?"

"Yes, brother?"

"Why is my scythe stuck to the wall?"

"You tell me, brother. Why is our curtain cut?"

"dunno..."

"..."

"Well, I'm hungry"

"Lets go, brother, I think there's a cake outside"

**AN: I like HnKnA so much I couldn't resist putting this up ^^. I'm not done with this yet, that's pretty much all I'll promise. **

**Review pls! Cookies for those who will. Seriously, my mother just baked a pack. If I do get a review and my story doesn't suck, I'll update by this week. **

**Thank you anyway for reading, 'till next time! ;)  
**


	2. A Cake that can Make you Grow

**AN: I thank pasty face, RoseQueen2424, elliotxalicexlover and Fate Pwns You. Here's your chocolate-chip cookie! :D **

**I'd also like to thank a couple of others who _actually_ read this story and favorited, alerted it, etc. etc. Do you wish to remain anonymous? ;)**

**I noticed that there is also another HnKnA fanfic with the same concept of 'shrinking' the protagonist, rest assured I will do my best to make the ideas separate. I apologize to the author of it. **

**Gosh, WHY am i talking being so formal? xD Ok, on with the story. If you've watched the movie, you know it's:  
**

_**Chapter 2: A Cake that can Make you Grow**_

Alice brushed through a well-build spiderweb. She cringed, wondering where the web-spinner was.

She escaped the Tweedles, that didn't guarantee she'd be safe from anything else in here. The hole resembled the inside of a rocky cave, difference was it was clearly of cement and it appeared to be digged by some unknown critter.

ACHOO! Dust. Big dust. It sprinkled from the top, floated momentarily and played with her weak nasal cavity. Plus, it coated her throat in a thick layer, it took several coughs until the layer thinned. Her lips were awfully chapped, AGAIN thanks to the dust. She was afraid that if she licked her lips, she might take in some extra dust bunnies. Yum!

After what seemed like an eternity of a walk with her shoes tapping the ground each second, she caught a glimpse of light and almost leaped in joy. She didn't take any more chances with this hole and ran for it, slipping out in the open into a tall grassy landspread.

The luminous sun was like a living heaven to her. The fresh air, the leaves tinked with excess morning dew, the alluring smell of roses coming from afar, everything seemed to appeal to her.

"great!" she remarked, trudging across the muddy ground. "maybe Elliot will be gardening today"

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"what are you kids doing?"

Dee and Dum looked at the man once with complete disinterest before resuming their monstorous devour of the deep mouse chocolate delight as if he never came in.

"Oi! At least listen to me, you stupid kids!" Elliot smacked them on the back of their heads, causing them to grunt at the same time.

"were just having a little snack, what's wrong with that?" Dee held his aching head, his sibling glaring at the child-abuser.

"nothing, unless it was that chocolate pastry in the fridge that had a 'DO NOT TOUCH!' sign on it"

Dum gulped down half his glass of milk before finally turning to the impatient man.

"rules were meant to be broken, newbie-hare"

"datz riyd" Dee agreed with a mouth-full of smushed dark brown cake.

Elliot grumbled "whatever, it ain't my problem if you kids get in trouble" he wrenched the fridge open and stole a ham and cheese sandwich. His sharp eyes loomed over the kitchen with curiousity.

"hey, have you guys seen Alice around?"

"why do you ask?" Dee inquired in an 'I-don't-care' tone yet somewhere in his voice could've almost proven that he wanted to know the same thing.

"well, I just wanted to...make her breakfast that's all" Elliot flushed slightly, steering his gaze away from the twins.

Dum frowned "well, too bad, she's already eaten"

"how do you know that, brother?"

"didn't we...see her this morning?" Dum pondered for a moment.

"I can't remember"

"neither can I"

"you kids are hopeless" Elliot tore off his snack with his teeth.

"better than what you are, stupid newbie-hare!" they countered.

The three comrades shot lightning at eachother in the form of difficult glares. Two against one, it was obvious of the outcome. The older male sighed, in defeat or in grief, the twins couldn't tell.

He swallowed with difficulty "I just hope she's alright, last night, she didn't look too well"

"what happened last night?"

"uh, I...don't know, I don't remember"

One thing you should know about the March Hare is that he has absolutely no talent in lying but the twins bought his words easily, being the younger ones amongst the Mafia group.

Silence befell inside the house, the only sound was the familiar echo of ticking. It increased its volume each second but there was definitely no clock in the kitchen. It was their three hearts, ticking in confusion and anxiety. What happened last night, really?

"ahh, this is too much drama" Dum kicked his feet onto the counter and yawned.

"right brother, too much TACKY drama" Dee followed his brother, boots on the table and all. An act of rebellion to show who's boss when their _real _boss was absent.

"so where's boss, newbie-hare?"

"oh, Blood?" Elliot bit onto his cold sandwich "he's out at the rose garden"

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

The rose garden. Alice was aware that the trail ahead led to it, that explained the redolent scent of roses. She didn't know what led her to it but since nothing else was familiar from where she was standing, she decided to visit the little garden. It held millions and millions of bushes sprouting of red thorny flowers bigger than the size of her head, probably because of her current height. She roamed freely, viewing roses of all sizes, colors and some of unique breeds.

At one point, she found a small scarlet bud, sympathy washing over her a bit. Everything else had bloomed, why hadn't this? She reached out a hand to touch it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" she gasped like a child in trouble and averted her gaze to a- shoe?

"it's just a bud, you'd be wasting your time" she grumbled, not a shoe. The owner of these leather boots she knew too well.

"Blood"

"Alice"

Her neck had to be craned all the way back just to face him however behind his head was the ever-so-bright sun, making his face difficult to see. It stood out like a rectangular shadow (plus the hat). Alice squinted both at the strong light and at the peculiar moment.

"you don't seem suprised"

Blood smirked "I expected something" he slowly bent to her level "but not this" the Mafia boss fingered her small blonde locks curiously before the girl swatted his pointer finger away in irritation.

"you really do look like a doll, young lady" he teased

"so I've been told" she replied bluntly, waiting for an answer to her unsaid question.

"you expect me to explain this?" she nodded once. Frankly, she wasn't really favorable with the Hatter, there were some foul memories of him. If it had been Elliot, he wouldve helped right away. No pointless questions, no obnoxious teasings.

"might we have some tea?"

"no thank you, I'm not thirsty" Alice stated distastefully, unaware of the irrational reason of her sudden dislike of it.

"at least, let us take a stroll in the garden, it is quite an explanation" she gave into this, the conditions weren't so bad. That was her idea of it, until he rested his hand onto the ground, indicating she go on it.

"I wouldn't want to be held back by your slow walking" Alice scowled but stepped onto the white platform formally called his palm. As it lifted back up, she managed a minor headache and her ears popped at pressure but after so, everything went on smoothly.

"why can't I remember anything from last night?" she straightened her tossled hair, an effect of the open take off. They began to walk around, our heroine didn't know where exactly was the main destination but she didn't concern herself to ask.

"you collapsed onto the table after you drank the Black tea"

Black tea... It had an echoing effect. She knew that phrase from somewhere yet somehow she couldn't remember anything about it.

"did you mindsweep me or something?" she glared hard at the gentleman who she knew wasn't one at all.

"no, that too was the Black tea's doing"

"well, go on" the round of his hat shadowed his eyes mysteriously even if Alice had a good view up at it, she looked away for his privacy.

"only role holders can drink that tea, it has side-effects for foreigners like you" he said grimly

"why didn't you warn me then before I did that stupid game of yours?"

"I found it rather amusing" typical, Blood's always out for his own interest.

"ok, how about an antidote?" she asked sternly, more interested on HOW to grow back than to find out things-that-interest-Blood-Dupre.

"as far as I'm concerned, there isn't any"

"WHAT?" Alice wobbled up, her chocolate brown eyes rejecting all emotions but anger.

"so I'm _stuck_ like this?" she questioned, absolutely enraged.

"I wouldn't mind you being like this" he eyed her suggestively. "I'd like to play with you this size"

"Dont. You. Dare." the foreigner blushed, grabbing her skirt in prepatorial defense.

"my, my, I wasn't aware of your dirty mind, young lady"

"perverted bastard..." Alice murmered, silently hoping he'd overhear. She had known that the Hatter was just playing with her and that she shouldn't take everything he says literally but she just couldn't help it.

"so, what are those...side-effects you mentioned earlier?" Blood had this annoying amused look in his eye since the 'young lady' has changed the subject so suddenly.

"memory disorientation, size-fixation and obsession"

"come again?"

"obsession, after every twenty minutes of staying with one person, that person would want to HAVE you forever. Similar to when a child wants a toy and would obsess over it"

That certainly explained Dee and Dum. The crimson in their childish orbs still frightened her, she HOPED to at least get a decent sleep tonight. Suddenly, a thought struck her and she frantically peeked at her carrier.

"Blood, put me down! Put me down NOW!" she cried. What was suprising was his motion to do the exact opposite. He grabbed her by the waist violently, barely squeezing the life out of her.

"I've always wanted to know what the 'obsession' felt like" he smiled malovently at the girl whose eyes widened in suprise.

"no Blood, you don't want to do this" she pushed at his wrist, her pleads for freedom being rendered fruitless.

His other hand slithered around the one caging her diaphragm. "it would be interesting, I'll tell you that, so how about trying it?" his teeth shone like pearls, beautiful and yet camouflaged with evil greed. He clutched harder, she gasped at the lost necessity.

His eyes, they weren't blood-red _yet_. She guessed she had ten seconds to convince him. She pretended to peer shockingly behind him.

"Look, Vivaldi came early today!"

"I know her whole schedule, she's at a meeting now"

Seven seconds.

"hey, let's have some of that tea you mentioned earlier"

"no thanks, I'm not thirsty" he mimicked her earlier retort, charming.

Four seconds.

"oh my gosh, it's Justin Beiber!"

"who the hell is he?"

Two seconds.

"...your hat"

"nice try, young lady but-"

"no seriously, your hat" she pointed at the ebonic magician-like hat, flying against the wind and floating out of the rose garden. Blood cursed, dropped her and ran after his hat.

Good news is she escaped, bad news is she was falling down to something else painful.

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

She was lucky someone caught her. Two inches from ground level.

"Woah, what's this on my shoe?" okay, not necassarily caught.

A large rubber boot came out of no where and was provided as a landing spot for her. Unfortunately, the person wearing this boot, upraised it and shook it up and down, thinking that some random animal had dropped on it.

"come on boy, get off now" she recognized that voice. Alice clung onto the big boot for safety, either that or she'll end up flying out of the Mafia territory all together. She felt like an amateur cowgirl on a rodeo bull.

"A-A-A-Ac-c-ce!" she stammered; careful not to bite her own tongue, the man still wagging his shoe around.

"oh Alice, is that you?" he stopped at last, peering curiously at the dizzy Alice whose head was literally spinning.

"I think...I see pink bushes" she randomly commented as the Red Knight gently put her down. Our heroine's vision disoriented in a mix of colors, she currently stared at the seemingly green-haired man in a sky blue overcoat. She pressed the balls of her fists to her sensitive orbs and the colors seem to return gradually.

"Ace, what on earth are you doing here?"

he shrugged "I was just heading to the clock tower...and since _your_ here, I must be at the right place" he simpered in satisfaction at his little success as Alice palmed her face.

Ace was just being Ace, the directionally-challanged knight of hearts as always. The knight then glanced at her doubtfully, gave her a once over and put a hand to his hairless chin.

"hm, there's something different about you..." he muttered, pondering hard as if her new size wasn't obvious to him. Which it probably wasn't.

"did you gain weight?" the mentioned girl rolled her eyes.

"no Ace, I've shrunk! I've shrunk to the size of a Barbie doll"

"really? I've couldve sworn-"

"oh forget it"

"ok!"

The foreigner began in the opposite direction, aware that if she remained any longer, he'd be under the effect of the 'obsession'. That word was getting on her nerves all of a sudden.

"hey, where you going, _tiny_ Alice?" he laughed as if he just made the greatest joke in the world; following her in an easy pace, much to her dismay.

"I'm going to find a nice little hole to crawl up in. I might be stuck like this forever so maybe a make-shift bedroom will do me some good" she said as she met the cemented walls of the Mafia mansion. She patted them for some trick trap door or an abandoned hole hidden within it.

"I'll help you then" the knight chuckled. He crouched behind her and started tapping for some hollow parts on the area on top of her.

"although this really isn't necassary"

"what isn't necessary?" Alice's hand traveled to the right in concentrated search.

"finding a hole"

"you got any better ideas?" she gave up and returned to her left. Huge wall, small palms.

"two actually" she didn't really mind what he was saying but she kept conversation, allowing her to be free of boredom's hold on her.

"and they are?"

"one is you camp out with me for the_ rest_ of your life" her hand abrupt in instinct at what he said and she whirled around fearfully. She heaved in relief as his eyes were close to red but not unnaturally crimson. She expected it to be, the 'obsession' could get to him any minute now and his suggestion was kind of suspicious. She smiled as genuinely as she could in the drastic situation she was in.

"thanks but no thanks, I've got a lot on my hands as it is" her head returned to the pale wall.

"and I warn you to stay back if you know what's good for you"

"aw, tiny Alice wants me to go away even after I offered my help" his tone reminded her of the Tweedle's childish ones yet she knew it was feigned for mockery. She restarted her search, pounding on the left wall.

"you know I didn't mean it that way"

"ok, I'll leave because I trust Alice, her heart is pure" her cheeks heated up and it had nothing to do with the sun gifting a free tan on her bare skin.

"just go already!" she covered the fuschia portion of her face using the back of her hand.

Ace laughed "alright I will" she could hear his footsteps crashing over grass and pavement, moving farther and farther away. She tried to ignore it but a puzzling feeling left her to contemplate like she was missing an important detail. It surely had nothing to do with the hole she intended to find. It had something to do with Ace.

"Ace!" she called, almost frantically.

Fortunately, he still was at the Hatter grounds. She could faintly see him grinning at her like he was expecting her to exclaim his name.

"er, your second idea, what was it?" Alice inquired quickly. He swiveled around, resulting his cape to fly out dramatically.

"oh nothing really" he shrugged "just that I know of a cake at the palace that was rumored to make people grow, thought you might want to know that"

Alice gaped at him and didn't care once her palm landed on a hollow area. There was her hole. And before her, there was the first sighting of hope. My, did she love convenient choices like these.

"Ace, will you please take me to the Castle of Hearts?" she asked with an optimistic twinkle in her eye.

"well, I was suppose to do some work for Julius but I guess I can spare some time" Ace pressed his clean white mask onto his sweaty face, ready for the clock master's job. He then approached the little doll figure and hooched her onto his shoulder.

"I can wait, do whatever you need to do" at that moment, she remembered the twenty-minute consequence of her new size. She peeked hesitantly at Ace's beaming face.

'Well, Blood didn't really get affected earlier and ten minutes estimated have passed when he was with me so...maybe that rule was a mistake.' she assured herself. But no sooner had she thought of it, that the twins' eager faces popped into her head, the memory haunted her to disagree with her own theory.

'I'll be careful' she promised 'after all, this is Ace, he won't be as violent as Blood'. If only she knew how terribly wrong she was.

"shall we go?" he smiled kindly.

"sure" and then behind his 'work' mask, his bright orbs transformed into a darker, deeper color of maroon and Alice was completely unaware of it.

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

"Alice?" Blood called out to the empty garden, his hand gripping his long-lost hat.

"how rude of her to leave without saying goodbye" he flicked his cane and it shape-shifted into a large hunter gun.

"oh well, time to search for my pretty little doll"

**AN: I _seriously_ hope this didn't turn you off. The 'obsession' was just to prove that Alice has somewhat become like a 'doll' and what happens to dolls with us, girls? Haha, fine! maybe not ALL of us but hey, we have our obsession's sometimes. ;) What's yours? :D  
**

**Thanks for reaching this far. IF I feel like it and IF asked _REAL _nicely, I'll update this weekend; haha, probably won't happen but hey, I can dream, can't I? :") Review pls. This is White M. signing out!  
**


	3. Animals can Talk

**AN: A sense of adrenaline rush and BELIEVE ME, I don't want to try it again. LOL **

**This chap goes out to those who asked nicely :P and heck, I was in the mood today. Don't expect the next chap to be JUST as fast. xO I'll answer the reviews AFTER the chap as to not hold out people. **

**OK, while fighting the Jabberwocky, Alice said:  
**

_**Chapter 3: Animals can Talk**_

"hey, Alice can you explain something to me?" she nodded, her legs swinging at the edge of Ace's shoulder.

"You shrank down to this size but why had your clothes shrunk with you too? Shouldn't _they_ be big and _you_ small?" he pouted, looking rather disappointed at the fact.

"I wouldn't know really, it's all a mystery to me" Ace nodded slightly but said no more, focusing on the dirt path they intended to travel. At that exact moment, the largest grazing star in the Milky Way dipped into the horizon, behind a few hovering trees.

Alice frowned "are you sure your going the right way?" the knight refrained from chatter but that just worried her more.

"It's almost dark, why haven't we reached the clock tower yet?" again, she didn't get an answer. She was about to slap him _real_ hard for ignoring her when all of a sudden, a group of frantic voices came about. Remarking negative things about her partner, which was peculiar because there wasn't anyone near them that could utter such dialogue.

'Run' one whispered.

"Did you hear that?" Alice felt prickling goose bumps tickle her arms. What scared her even more were Ace's non-responsive methods on her. She gripped his thick, round collar in fear.

'He kills' another voice muttered. It came from the interior of a bush.

'He kills the black men'

'This man is evil'

'run'

'run before it's too late'

'Run'

Run? But this was Ace. Sure, he kills for the sake of his duty as a knight yet evil just didn't seem to be the best word to describe him.

'Its his aura, Alice' a high-pitched squeak came from behind the knight's heel. She gulped, that voice knew her name.

'he seems more eager to kill than he normally is before'

At the sound of the last word 'before', the forest quieted. The noises being replaced by the general cricket noises you hear at night, even a frog croaked at Alice's left. Now the sun has completely disappeared and stars began to stream above them. Her free palm rested on her skull.

"I think I'm hallucinating, Ace" no reply, he continued to stare forward.

"Hey, Ace?" she pulled at his collar yet it felt like an ant trying to push a brick.

"helloooo, earth to knight"

"..."

"Ace!" she cried again, this time however she gained his attention. His mask tilted to her direction, showing to her that he was listening.

"what's going on with you? Your not talking to me" Ace parted his surprisingly moist lips to reply when the two were intercepted.

Five men in dark suits and tights, not to mention a load of weaponry had slipped out to block their path. The men's actions were so distinct and silent that our doll couldn't help but hold in her breath in a new found phobia. Her grip instinctively tightened around her companion's collar.

"hey, what's that on your shoulder?" one of them pointed a brass sword at Alice's area, seeing the slight movement. She dared not speak.

The knight grinned "this is my doll, my _personal_ doll" hearing his voice, Alice felt relieved, calm, that Ace was fine. However she was in no right position to feel abstract emotions such as these.

"what's this? Our target likes to play with dolls. That's gay, man!" the same person swiveled his oval masked head to the one in the middle, presumably the leader of this gang. He dressed differently, wearing a large blazer over his ebony attire.

"gay or not, he kills our brothers. As punishment, we must kill him" he ripped out a gun from one of the pockets hidden in his jacket. The jet-black colors were so skillfully mixed up with their own shadows that Alice couldn't even pinpoint where the pocket was nor the kind of gun he wrenched out.

She drew her small head nearer to Ace's neck. 'Be careful' there was a gust of wind that could've knocked her off her seat. And then, she felt the first splat of blood.

Being tiny, it painted her entire cheek and barely got in her bronze locks. Ace stood before the shocked leader, his sword driven through the diaphragm of his captive. That certainly was NOT a gust of wind she experienced earlier.

"Shit, he got Artemis. Quick, after him!" Ace made such swift movements that his left shoulder didn't even move a muscle, fortunately for Alice. He latched his sword into one's face, more liquid dripped out. The foreigner covered her face and gasped. She could smell it; as strong as ever, the oozing, fresh scent of blood.

"Artemis? That's a girl's name and you call _me_ gay" he yanked his soaked sword out of the man's complexion. A silent kill. The assassin fell to the floor without a witty comeback to Ace's smart statement. And he'll probably never get the chance.

The dead man had brought a signal to the rest of the pack, who all drew swords that mirrored the night's wonders at the blade of each. Three against one, not a fair fight. Unless you were against the Knight of Hearts.

"Hold on, my beloved doll" Alice didn't know whether he was insulting or complimenting her. The blood caked onto her face showed all the more sign to listen to him. She clutched stronger onto his neck and shut her eyes. She overheard the slicings, the screams, the blood. Yes, even that had a sound. More got on her dress, it was queerly warm on her skin, Alice flinched.

Then Ace paused, the racket ceased and all vibrations were down to the little twitchings of one unconscious assassin. Ace brought down his sword and the twitchings stopped. He picked up his prizes, five broken clocks, tucked them somewhere in his cape and staggered back to the dirt path.

Our heroine blinked her chestnut orbs open, a rainbow of colors swirling in her vision before settling down to the natural colors of the forest. She stared at her partner's cold face which was unnatural for him.

"why did you kill those men?" he cocked an eyebrow at her.

"they were trying to kill me, shouldn't I defend myself?"

"you could without being a murderer" he stifled a laugh

"Murderer is...a very strong word to use"

"murderer is a murderer, a killer of lives" he shook his head at her, it made a loud WOOSHing noise from where she sat.

"they're just other cards off the deck, Alice. They were facelesses, unnecessary"

"you can't just take away lives even if they are facelesses"

He laughed but it sounded surprisingly dead. "your weird, Alice"

She's been getting that alot. Mostly from Peter. She's weird because she values lives. However to them, life is such a small matter. It's all a game to them, when you lose, you lose. It's rarely a time when someone wins.

"I'm just saying so" he didn't pursue conversation anymore and thankfully, the girl didn't want to either.

For one, Alice did _not_ want to admit that although Ace has killed five men without breaking a sweat, he had also protected her without breaking a sweat. One way or another, he had build a protection field over his 'personal doll' and had (dare she think it) become her knight in shining armor. She shuddered, getting sick of thinking so cornily.

Another reason; she was beginning to establish the idea that Ace has been acting weird, silent most of the time (a last-minute mental note, unfortunately). It had been in plain sight this entire time; she just didn't want to believe it. That happy, kind, humorous and sometimes _stupid_ Ace could be the villain.

Her eyes were set downcast in a daze and then she noticed a shadow trailing behind the knight's shoe.

'run, Alice' she hesitated, that squeaking voice again.

'RUN!' she jerked. And as if she's been awaken from a dream, gazed at Ace fearfully.

"Ace, take off your mask" he twisted his head to the side with amusement decorating his smile.

"why?"

"just do it" he did, his eyes under the night sky weren't clear. From afar, anyone could say his irises were black but up close, to where Alice resided, she saw the shimmer of red in his eyes.

'I'll be careful' she remembered the silent promise she made to herself. Just how long was he under the spell of the 'obsession'?

She held in a breath "Ace..." she couldn't start her sentence.

He nabbed her quickly by her waist, similar to Blood's hold except he used his fingers like tongs on a test tube. It wasn't as suffocating as Blood's, Alice admitted but the same deathly glare was thrown at her. In the Hatter's case, he wasn't under the influence just yet so she had no idea what Ace would do, being affected currently.

"your heart" he murmured. The girl said something intelligent like "uhh?" his intimidating gaze bore into hers.

"your heart" he repeated patiently "I want to hear it" before she could object or even inhale to prepare herself, Ace forced her body towards his ear.

It was pretty awkward as the knight attempted to fit both body parts into place. Her chest pressed against his soft earlobe and her face jagged against the rest of the knight's ear, her feet dangled helplessly below. "hm..." his face vibrated in a hum and he adjusted the girl in his fingertips. "I can't hear it"

He removed her from his ear and stared at her with childish confusion hovering in his eyes. It was immediately replaced with a mysterious cold nature. He smiled cruelly, perhaps the same way the Mafia leader did noon time.

"well, if I can't hear your heart, I might as well kill you"

"Ace" Alice tried again, drawing in a shaky breath. "this isn't you. You're under the influence of the 'obsession' where you'd go crazy when I'm around. Mostly just to want me around. You need to wake up"

Ace contemplated for a moment in his own way. He'd put whichever hand was free over his chin and look up to the sky. Which he did.

"Isn't that all the more reason to kill you?" he asked in spite of all Alice had ranted on him.

"huh?" she stared at him in disbelief.

"if I wanted to wake up from this thing, all I needed is to kill the reason why I'm going crazy, right?"

"no" she said hastily "no, that's a crazy idea"

"you think?" he cocked his head to the side, as if they were discussing how to kill her the _best_ way.

"oh yeah, you don't...um, I think the _best_ way would be for you to pass me to somebody else" she scratched the corner under her right eye.

"how 'bout Julius?" she faked a smile. Alice was smart but unfortunately Ace was smarter.

He smirked "sorry, Alice but if I'm not going to have you, nobody can"

"but you want to kill me"

"true" he agreed "I'll rephrase it then, if nobody's going to kill you, I will"

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

She ducked behind a thick shrubbery. A ten-second head start that's all she got.

"Where's the fun in killing tiny Alice without tiny Alice trying?" she recalled his amused face as he laughed mockingly. The memory repeated itself over and over obnoxiously until she got the picture.

'Darn it!' she grunted 'I'll kill that knight when I get back to normal size'. She peered around the bush and fathomed Ace's menacing voice coming from a distance.

"Hide and seek is fun, don't you think so too, Alice?" he chuckled, his sword swinging from it's attachment to his belt. She didn't breath, she didn't dare too. This guy was scarier than all five assassins combined.

"Yup, I knew you'd see it my way!" he said giddily into thin air.

To her relief, he passed by her shrub and walked blindly into the night. Thank god, Ace was directionally challenged. If not, she'd be a dead fish lying on a ready grill, she shivered at the thought.

"Alice, are you alright?" there was that squeak from earlier, this time in a faint whisper. Her eyes roamed for the source, finding a bright orange mouse peeking out from behind a rock.

She curiously squinted "do I know you?" it jumped in surprise.

"y-you could see me?"

"well, your big body is behind a tiny pebble so..."

The mouse put a little hand to his furry lips "shh, _he_ might hear you"

Alice willingly sealed her mouth, perfectly understanding the mouse when it said 'He'. She sighed in regret, it was all her fault the knight was acting like this, he wouldn't be trying to kill her otherwise. Well, unless her heart stops all together. Whatever size she was, Ace would stab his sword into the lousy heart before she knew it.

The animal crawled from his hiding spot and squirmed over to Alice. His head being no taller than her neck height however she bet if he stuck his snout up in the air, he'd be totally out of her league, assuming this animal IS a male. He wasn't naked so it couldn't be obvious. He wore an emerald, checkered jacket that had fortunately reached _that_ area and a tiny black hat to match.

The creature kneeled so his face would be aligned with the shrunken foreigner's.

"um, hello Alice" he blushed, at least that's what it looked like. Our doll couldn't tell whilst the layers of fur and not much sensible light being emitted from the sky.

She nodded in acknowledgment "Pierce"

He gasped "h-how did you know it was me?"

"there's only ONE talking dormouse in all of Wonderland" Alice simpered a cheeky smile. Pierce then joyfully stood on his animal hinges and pounced into her arms.

"wha-!" she stumbled back but was fortunately able to support both weights.

"I missed you, Alice" although she was partially reluctant, the innocent intention made her wrap her arms around the mouse.

"I…missed you… too" she couldn't fathom it yet somehow, she knew she wasn't lying.

"er, so you were the voice that tried to warn me? About Ace?" she felt his head go up and down in what she knew was affirmation.

"and what about those other voices?"

"my animal friends" he answered "I told them to warn you and when that wasn't enough, I tried to tell you myself"

"why didn't Ace hear it?"

"we, animals can control who can hear us and who can't" Pierce went on "I…hope that man didn't hurt you"

"he didn't" she embraced him willingly now "thank you, Pierce" she buried her face gratefully in a little bed of fur (called his shoulder) and inhaled the scent of the forest that stuck to it. She felt safer than she had been the past few days, in the limbs of a mouse her size. It made her look normal, invulnerable for a change compared to what Ace could possibly offer.

"er…so, what brings you here? Shouldn't you be in Clover country?" she pulled back just in time to see his whiskers twitch cutely.

"well, I can pass by from time to time if I have some business in Heart Country"

"what sort of business?"

The Dormouse lowered his pink nose. "it's best you didn't know, not yet at least" Alice nodded understandingly. Pierce wasn't the type that blurted out whatever comes into his mind; he was far too quiet to be less intelligent.

"on the other hand" he got back on all fours and backed away slightly, just enough that he may be able to view her fully. "shouldn't you be...um...you know...taller?" he stammered as if it would offend her. Somewhere in the heart of her pride it probably did.

"I shrunk, because of some stupid tea at this stupid tea party" she massaged her temples as if the memory itself gave her headaches.

Pierce nodded "and that knight... was he on the move to kidnap you?"

"Actually no, he was _suppose_ to help me get back to normal size" the animal cocked it's head to the side, guess Pierce couldn't raise eyebrows in current transformation. "there is a cake in the castle that might bring me back to normal, he was suppose to bring me there after he did his work"

"you said 'might'"

Alice stared at the creature, it's black marble orbs blinking in confusion. "I know, I guess I'm just scared that it might be a wild goose chase and I'm risking my life for nothing" now, she's avoiding his gaze on her.

Pierce's eyes are like cameras, like they would broadcast on television every word she'll say, no matter how weak she'll look. No edits, just weak little Alice rambling on and on about how frightened she is about such a simple matter. She bites her quivering lip and tries to drive the negative thoughts away. It works, partly.

"Well, I guess we should just find out for ourselves, right?" his squeak of a voice comes down to her like a coconut would come falling down from a high, hovering tree. It would have been enough to fool Alice.

She glances up hesitantly and much to her dismay, there's Pierce. Human Pierce, holding down a gloved hand to pick her up. So much for invulnerability.

"I liked you better as a mouse" she grimaces.

And all of a sudden, tears leaked out from the corners of his eyes and even thought they were tiny, they still drowned the foreigner in big droplets. "I'm sorry. I didn't know Alice would get angry because of that" it takes her some time to reassure him that she isn't angry.

He sniffs "a-alright" he wipes of some of his tears which had unfortunately, giving Alice her bath for the night. Once he finishes drying his eyes and actually calms down, Alice sadly has a _very _different impression of him.

"I can... take you to the castle if you want"

"Yes Pierce, I would like that" she says uneasily, one wrong word and she'll send out a waterfall for her second bath.

"Well, if it isn't Pierce Villiers" the two practically jump. "what's Mr. Mousy doing here in Heart Country? Business with the Mafia boss?" Pierce tips his head in the convenient form of a 'yes'.

All the while, Alice ducks behind his boot but thinks against it and instead backs away, afraid that the knight would chop off Pierce's foot if she was found there.

"haha, I hope you can take care of yourself against the bloody twins" Ace approaches casually and the dormouse holds his ground, in fear? Alice didn't know.

"I can"

"that's good" Ace smiles, looking him up and down as if his precious doll had been carefully hidden in one of Pierce's shirt pockets.

"By the way, have you seen a blonde foreigner come this way?"

"w-who are you talking about?" Pierce is sweating profusely and that's all our foreigner needs as a sign that he can't lie, he's no good at it. She backs away more rapidly.

"You know her, Alice and she's about...this small" he makes out her small shape in precise figure.

"nope" Pierce looks away from the intimidating blood-red orbs of the knight of hearts. "I haven't seen anyone that small, it'd be abnormal that way, right?"

Ace laughs "exactly, so she shouldn't be hard to spot"

Pierce attempts to laugh but it sounds half-heartedly "y-your right" The man pauses his short chuckle, leaning down to the mouse's face.

"If your lying, Mr. Mousy; it could be trouble for you" he beams, resulting to the latter gulping nervously

"I-I realize"

"so tell me, Where. Is. Alice?"

SNAP! A twig. Alice had stepped on a small, wooden twig. She prayed that Ace was too concerned about scaring Pierce that he wouldn't be able to hear her. Ofcourse, if luck was with her, she wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.

"my my, did I just find her?"

"no, uh…run!" that's all it took. She whirled around and leaped, the recent hesitation being drowned  
out by general fear. And she was sent haplessly tumbling into the icy, cold pond, the chill engulfing her mercilessly.

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

"well, if it isn't Pierce Villiers, what's Mr. Mousy doing in Heart Country? Business with the Mafia boss?"

"y-yes"

"haha, your so silent I could barely hear that. Tell you what, I'll take you there myself. I know Heart Country like it's that back of my palm"

"sure"

"you know I have this weird feeling that I'm missing something, like I'm suppose to bring someone somewhere"

"ditto"

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

She grabbed both of her shoulders and held her breath. It was freezing. No, not only that. Her lungs were burning for oxygen.

Her black school shoes tapped the muddy ground of the pond, the moss curling up her heel. It dawned her at the last minute that she didn't know how to swim. She hadn't had the time to learn how to swim back in the real world. Lorina knew how, she's seen her in the beach swimming like an angel.

What did she do? Swing her arms and legs. Alice attempted this, flapping all limbs as she desperately tried for the surface. That ended quicker than she would've thought.

She slump back onto the moss embellished hole, her tiny heart slowing down it's pumps, dying down. No air, she needed it.

A slow death is evidently worse than a fast one; perhaps Ace will find her and slice through that slow organ of hers. She was aware though that waiting any longer will just kill her and no matter how hard she tries; to survive, she'll need help.

At least, she should give into consciousness, save her all the pain. Her eyelids were about to ease down when a blow fish passes by and takes a good, long look at her dying, little body.

'Help' Alice mouthed, liquid entering her nasal cavity and esophagus.

The fish seemed to...nod? She couldn't tell, not in her condition. It then went under her arm and uplifted her limp framework.

"you, friend of Pierce?" she blinked, she couldn't nod now. "I take you to surface" now a fish was talking to her. Maybe she's under an illusion, she drank non-fresh pond water and now she's hallucinating. Well, its an interesting way to end life.

Then all of a sudden, she's chucked out of the pond and onto the muddy excess nearest to it.

"thanks, fishy" she muttered. That's all Alice remembers before she blacks out.

**AN: Ok, some reminders: 1. If a role holder's obsessed their eyes turn red (its more distinctive that way). 2. Heart Country, Clover, etc. are somewhat the same (don't really get why they changed the names) but I put them up as separate countries in here, story purposes 3. I used 'Mr. Mousy' because Ace likes to use nicknames! {like Boris is Kitty-cat :3}**

**in order:**

**RoseQueen2424: thanks. I agree. Won't call Ace a psycho though, ehem, his fanclub mite kill me for it xD. Hm...awesomestraws, did you make that up? :D**** haha, really? Didn't notice the spelling prob at all :P.**

**Pasty face: you asked REAL nicely ;) haha, thanks.**

**Fate Pwns You: lol, same! (high-fives!) ah, good, good, it mite appear in more chaps l8ter so I'll take your word for it. ;)**

**moonflower princess: wow, that sucks. how bout getting a new one? I bet ther r better versions then that one...er, are there? Thanks btw. :)**

**Aoi Liddle: not so much either, but that's pretty much the pun. :D Oh, well here it is! :P**

**All in all, thanks guys. You made my day, seriously. :) Have a nice weekend! ;D  
**


	4. Cats can Disappear

**AN: there's been alot of confusion of why Blood _did_ remember that Alice had shrunk. Basically, he wasn't controlled by the obsession _yet_, he merely _wanted_ to (you could tell by the eyes). It's mostly the ones that _do_ get obsessed that forget about Alice's situation entirely. **

**Short Recap: as of now, the only people that were obsessed: Dee, Dum and Ace. **

**And for the set that were NOT obsessed: Blood and Pierce. **

**Now, if you say Pierce forgot about the foreigner, he didn't. He was uneasily answering Ace's questions with one-liners, trying to distract him I suppose. Sorry for the confusion.**

**...The Jabberwocky swung it's scaly tale thus Alice crashed onto the ground. "four, Alice" she reminded herself, dodging a giant foot that couldve literally squashed her like a pancake. Than the thought came to her:**

**_Chapter 4: Cats can Disappear_**

"Ooh, breakfast!"

such an extatic statement had aroused Alice, her long golden locks stuck to her face due to excess dried-up pond water and general sweat. Although she was wobbly getting up and her dizzy mind can barely progress anything other than noise, she forced herself to stand on two legs. Alice then had a staring contest with the backside of a man, whose purple tail swished in appeasment. A piercing at the end of it, merely of a golden fishbone.

"Boris!" she called, her hands in place of a megaphone. He gave a start before swiveling around, a fish's tail dangling from his mouth, wagging for freedom. She knew that tail very well.

"Boris, spit that out!" he didn't have to be told twice. His mouth went agape as he stared at the tiny foreigner, the blowfish joyfully escaping back into the pond.

"A-Alice, is that you?" he rubbed his wide eyes over and over, trying to get the picture right. "there must be something wrong with my eyes, you look...small!"

"I _am_ small" she replied distastefully. He lifted a stubby finger and poked the doll's ribbon on her head, she flicked it severely as punishment. Boris rubbed the little wound building up on his fingertip.

"your real?"

"ofcourse, I am"

"so this isnt a dream?"

she grimaced "I only wished it was"

After she had convinced him that he hadnt gone crazy, Boris propped himself on two elbows and gazed at her with intense curiousity. His cat ears shaking in excitement.

"ok" he drew in a breath "how'd this happen?"

she sighed "its a long story"

"don't worry, I got lots of time" he played fingers through his feather boa yet his eyes were still trained on her. Even though, she was clearly exhausted, she ended up explaining from the beginning; waking up, the twins, Blood's talk, Ace and _Pierce_'s arc.

"oooh, Pierce is in town?" Boris licked his lips but after seeing Alice's hard glare, he gulped "ehem, continue" she went on. She ended her talk with more elaborate details on the consequences of her size, namely the 'obsession'.

"sooooo if I'm with you for twenty minutes, I'll get _obsessed_ with you?"

Alice nodded "you'd get violent to other role holders too"

"wow" Boris ruffled through his creative pink hair "thats alot to think about"

"your telling me"

"yeah, but I'm just no good at thinking" he put both arms behind his head and pouted.

She laughed, the sound being alien to her. Under the circumstances, Alice _shoudn't_ laugh, let along smile. However for some reason she couldn't fathom, being with the Cheshire cat, everything seemed so natural. He looked down at her with his bright cat eyes.

"what do you plan to do?" he asked

GRUMBLE.

"get breakfast" she joked, earning Boris' pleased chuckle

"you shooed away mine, you owe _me_ breakfast" the Cheshire cat glanced up at the cloudy blue sky in deep thought. "I can't stay long with you, remember? I might get 'possessed'" he did motions with his hands like some voodoo magic being involved.

"'obsessed'" she corrected, snorting back another laugh that climbed up her throat.

"whatever, you know what I mean"

The girl bowed her head in agreement and chewed on her bottom lip. Frankly, she knew what he meant yet didn't want him to leave. He's great company, no- that sounded like a lie. She crossed that out of her mind and fixed it; he _is_ a great friend and him leaving would be similar to being brought back to the very beginning.

Back to the frightening crimson orbs of Dee, Dum and Ace. (Two other role holders had luckily escaped that deadly effect however one wanted to provoke it's madness on himself).

Back to that cramped up hole in the Hatter's Mansion and the many hours she spent trying to be free of it.

Back to the pool and boy, did she _not_ want to go back to that.

"do you think I can fight it?"

"huh?"

"the obsession" her head snapped up in new refound hope. Then she thought twice about it and shrugged.

"I don't know, maybe"

"yeah, maybe. Ah! I'm thinking again, this sucks" he tapped his forehead irritably as if it really pained him to actually think. Was he just trying to be funny?

"Boris, this isn't the time to fool around" Alice scolded, half-joking herself

he scoffed "there's always a time, Alice. In Wonderland, there usually is"

"even so, I don't think this is the _right_ time for it"

he pouts "why not?"

"be-cause...okay nevermind. We're wasting time" she massages her temples, losing her point in the conversation.

"yeah, yeah, I get it" Boris pounced off the ground as swiftly as a stealthy cat (which he literally was). His head disappearing as it reached the point of vision of the sun. He touched his pocket and yanked out a round biscuit.

"here, it's not much but for you it should be a feast" he handed it to her. She scanned it curiously once her arms were wrapped around it.

"where'd you get this?"

"amusement park food stall, old man makes one hell of a great cookie" she nibbled onto its side and noticed the truth in his words.

"ok, I don't think you'd want to go looking for that 'cake' dressed like a harrassed woman" she blushed, glancing carefully over her outfit.

It faded of it's genuine aqua color and had traces of blood here and there, the pond washed away the mark on her face but had done no favors for the mark on the bottom right of her dress. The sleeve was cut and although it had been a minor damage recently, it worsened without treatment. And that was only her dress, she could only imagine what her hair would look like.

"fine, I'll visit the clock tower before heading to the castle" she chewed on a scrumptous chocolate chip.

"eh, why the clock tower?" Boris cocked an eyebrow "I thought we'd go to a toy store or something"

"because I...erm...have some extra clothes there" a moment of akward silence ensued.

Boris coughed "you have a Barbie doll, don't you?"

"it was a gift!" she defended "and besides, it was cute" her cheeks were flamed, she bit hard on a nut to ease down her embarassment.

"alright, I'll bring you there"

our heroine recalled all the times she was transported from one place to the other, each role holder had a fairly different style in taking care of doll-sized materials. Whereas, Boris chose to fold up Alice neatly and carefully before tucking her away in his pocket.

he whiffed at her scent "I smell blood"

"must be your imagination" he smirked at her spontaneous excuse.

"yeah, must be"

Being roled as the Cheshire cat, he was much faster than the others. Soon they speeded to impossible human runs that Alice had clung to the soft fabric of her new partner's pocket for safety and prayed to the heavens that she wouldn't fall off.

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

Something was afoot, even Boris could sense it.

Upon entering the clock tower boundaries, they heard guns. Lots of them attacking perhaps two men. Boris was quick to dodge window views and sneaked into the tower like a stealthy theif. Looks like his so-called 'visits' to the Castle of Hearts gave him plenty of practice.

"someone's in Julius' office" he pressed his left cat ear to the cemented outer wall of the tower, hearing for useful vibrations. Alice nodded nimbly, more afraid for Juluis' sake than herself.

The cat tiptoed up the staircase of the building, reaching an empty hallway with the noise of the ruckus at the end of it. "ok, go right from here, then left, then go around then straight ahead, you'll reach my room" without question, the cat followed her directions, careful with any creeking doors or noisy floor boards.

At the third door he opened, they stepped into her room. Honestly, Boris was disappointed with the design, the Mortician really needs to decorate his rooms more. It had a pale white wallpaper surrounding the room, the sheets of the bed held a matching pigment too. The furniture is as showed: a single bed, a side-table, a brass coffee table and a sizable cabinet, that's it. Other certain necessities like light bulbs and air producers were not considered furniture in the cat's eyes so he had not included them.

"you should really fix this place up" he wiped at the top of the cabinet. His pointer finger being stamped with a dead gray color.

"what's wrong with it?" Alice's head popped out from beneath the pocket.

"its too...plain"

"i like plain" she responded in a matter-of-fact tone.

"yeah but you could at least get a poster or somethin-" he gazed at her. An aura spreading dangerously around the doll. A droplet of sweat was released by the pore on his forehead neurotically.

"plain's...um...good"

"I'm sorry what was that?"

"plain's cool" he answered jittery

"well, I'm glad you think so" she smiled deviously, Boris aware of it.

"anyways" he scratched his cheek "should I wait outside while you change?" he checked. A dangerous squint was all he needed for a reply. The cat easily lifted and landed her atop her bed before hassling to depart. She trotted for her bedside, fully aware that the doll she intended to strip down of clothes was where she left it. Her side-table.

She unzipped Barbie of her maid attire, comes with plain apron and _very_ comfortable shoes. She tore her dirty clothes off her body excluding the underwear and kicked the dress on, slipping on her shoes for last. Her limb did support the zipper, however only until mid-back where it got stuck. She tugged at the difficult zipper, pulling hard but with no improvement. Alice leaned against the wall, lay on her stomach, jumped up and down, tried to use the edge of her cabinet (to push it up) yet the little clip refused to go any further.

She soon got frustrated and yanked it with all her might, in the process of which, she tore through the dress. She gasped inwardly as holes broke through the cloth around her hips and the annoying zipper slipped upward but the zip path below was torn open. She eased out of the sensitive dress and glanced at the closed door, Boris' patient whistling could be heard on the other side.

Underground (Avril Lavigne), huh? Not bad. No, no, Alice, focus.' she thought to herself, looking away from the closed entrance. Her eyes roamed the room and took some extra seconds to stare at Barbie's broken dress.

What was she going to do? She's got her old battered dress but that was full of two days worth of filth and blood. On the other hand, she was already freezing on account of wearing _only_ her undergarments, no bigger than a bikini. Her mind was spinning in panic as she continuously searched for an alternative. She spotted a plush she won at the amusement park, an idea hitting her.

The doll sprinted for it and ripped the back of it's head open, digging the cotton out with her hands desperately. After she had got to the bottom, she slipped herself in, stretched her limbs through the sewn arms and legs and voilà! A plush toy outfit. Not really her taste but it'll have to do.

"alright, Boris. You can come in now" the door swung open and Boris strolled over to her, blowing a tune that resembled Lady Gaga's Bad Romance.

He winked at her "love the piggy suit, is it Halloween?" it was a Winnie the Pooh collectable Piglet plush, you think she had another choice?

He patted the little pig snout that stuck up in the air, her face where its neck was originally located. She rolled her eyes.

"whatever, we got bigger things to worry about" she waved him off, disregarding the teasing cat. She ripped the top off and brushed through her hair, cleaning up unwanted particles and straightening it temporarily with her fingers.

"dont worry, whoever was in Julius' office, left already. There's not a voice in that room" she stopped combing. Boris' fact startling her, her expression was an instant signal to her companion. He redid the folding procedure and soon, she rested back in his pocket.

Her mind stirred to one thought alone: Julius. Was he alright? Did he get abducted? Who was trying to shoot him? Questions whirrled so rapidly in her mind, she got a headache. Boris exited the plain room and jogged through the empty corridors with the same amazing speed yet with a leisuring pace this time. In no time, he paused at Mortician's work shop door which was oddly, slightly open.

"are you sure about this?" he inquired.

"you mean going into Julius' office that shows no sign of life after it was clearly a war zone of two people and that if there is an aftershock you wouldn't want to get caught in it?"

"I wouldn't want _you_ to get caught in it" his fury was obvious, his scarlet irises have done well to brag it to everyone. He had been under the 'obsession' for hours now yet he claims he is fighting against it. Alice couldn't figure out if he was lying or the latter, she knew she could trust him though and that was enough for her.

"fine, I'll hide in here while you go check inside _but_ when I say 'pull me out' you pull me out, got it?" she made it a point to be firm with him, one wrong move and he'll be totally under the 'obsession's control.

"that's boring, how 'bout 'Boris is so awesome'?" another unignorable glare was sent to him.

"alright, alright, I got it, sheesh!" he pushed the door enough for his slim body to slide in. If this was Julius Monrey's office, he couldn't tell.

Everything appeared like the after effects in an earthquake _after_ a tornado brushed through it. Paper flew here and there, some torn and some in prestige condition, coffee splattered at the mini kitchen to the left, tables were no longer tables, either cut in half or severed to bits. The worst of it were the clocks, some smashed to smithereens, others littered the floor almost impossible to repair.

"do you have any business here?" the voice croaked in tenor level. Julius heaved himself to stand up straight, using a low, slashed-diagonally table for support. Other than the dust and debris climbing up his coat, he looked decent. No wounds, his glasses firmly intact, his dashing navy hair locked into a fine clip, so on and so forth.

Boris cleared his throat "what happened in here?"

"I asked if you had business here, cat" his tone broke into that of acid although the nickname was no where near insulting, it still hit a spot. The mentioned cat narrowed his maroon eyes at the man, his mind bursting with objections 'fight it! Fight it!'. He was sure to calm himself down before offering a response to the Clock man.

"I was sent here by Alice" which wasn't all a lie, he was testing the Clockmaker. His eyes revealed to tense momentarily at the name but it retreated fast.

"Alice...hasn't been here for two days now"

"I can tell" Boris picked up a single piece of paper and dully examined it. "tell me, who was in here?"

Julius glared at him for a moment, deciding whether or not to shove him out the window or to merely shoot him; save him the trouble. He chose neither.

"Blood Dupre. He was...looking for Alice"

"what did he say?" from behind his paper, Boris peeked at the man, waiting for him to crack up.

"you ask too much questions and I don't feel like answering them" he put a weared-out hand to his forehead, a migraine coming up.

The visitor suddenly grinned broadly "if I tell you I knew where Alice is, what would you do?"

"I wouldn't believe you" he replied bluntly.

"aw come on, I don't lie"

"cats are devious, you should know that yourself"

Boris had to agree with that, unfortunately Julius was spoiling his fun. So much for his experiment.

"if you have nothing more to say then could you please leave me to my work?" the Clockmaker slumped down to the one piece of furniture that didn't seem to have been affected by the gun fight, a chair. He buried himself with papers that piled up unarranged on the broken work table, he was obviously depressed.

"pull me out" Alice's voice rang from deep within her promised hiding place but Boris wasn't finished with the Mortician yet.

"if Alice turned into a doll, what would you say?" the Cheshire cat leaned forward, his body missing the table by a skim.

"I'd say your the most idiotic, obnoxious cat in all of Heart Country" the latter smirked and drew back, his tongue drummed loud

"da-da-ta-DA!" he pulled Alice out and sat her upright on the table. Julius took one look at her and then, a strange clattering sound followed and the man disppeared. The two realized that the Mortician had fallen off his chair because of the suprise.

"looks like someone owes me an apology" Boris sang, a smirk embedding his complexion this whole time. Julius pulled himself up to level his head to the doll on his table, his glasses tilted queerly due to the fall.

"Alice..." he stared in utter disbelief. She tugged at her Piglet costume neurotically "hi Julius"

He balanced his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "how did this happen?"

"oh sure, ignore the cat" Boris rolled his eyes. Alice's mouth stretched into a straight line

"I drank Black Tea at the Hatter's and I woke up two nights ago this way" she glanced at Julius who was straightening himself up. "I-I'm sorry about Blood, I didn't know he'd come after me" she held back tears but the water in her eyes was fine to make the edges sparkle. "I didnt want you to get hurt and ended up putting you in so much trouble, Ju-"

"stop, stop right there" he shoved a hand up to silence her. "if you cry, I can't hug you under these circumstances"

A melodious laugh escaped her lips, she wiped off all things wet around her eyes and brought out a smile.

"ofcourse, not that I wanted to, it's just-"

"why, Julius Monrey, are you blushing?" Alice giggled, pointing a needle-sized finger at his fuschia face.

"I am not!"

"you are!"

"I am NOT!" he protested despite the fact that he felt it's tremendous heat. He must be getting a fever.

"you are, Julius. Your a bad liar"

"ok" Julius palmed his forehead "I can't take you seriously with you in a pig suit" it was now her turn to flush, although it was a lighter color in contrast to his.

"I couldn't find anything else. Barbie's dress was ripped up and all"

"alright, here then" he clapped his two palms loudly and amidst the echo, you can vaguely hear Alice gasp in suprise. Her body was surrounded by a fresh aqua color, twisting around her neck, waist and thighs. The pig outfit dispersed and in place was a flowing aquamarine dress. It was somewhat of a tube type, embellished with sparkles and fake dewdrops here and there. Her neck was wrapped in a choker that connected to the middle of her blouse in a V shape; no cleavage, just how she wanted. Julius carefully chosen the length, not too low for difficult traveling and not too high to be seductive. Either way, it was a beautiful creation. Boris side-glanced and ended with a mouth that dropped to the floor.

"wow, thank you, Julius" Alice twirled, unable to hide her pleased smile.

"don't mention it" the Mortician half-smiled, secretly sharing her appeasement. "close your mouth, cat" the mentioned cat did so, snapping his mouth back up and turning away in stubborn ignorance.

"now, don't you have more important things to do?" that stopped her happy twirling.

"your right, I have to get to the castle"

Julius nodded "the cake?"

"you know of the cake?" Alice's eyes widened in suprise.

He shrugged "it was a rumor in my youth, it's hidden somewhere in the castle"

Alice snorted "well, that certainly narrows it down"

"it cant be helped, it's an old rumor. Boris"

"oh so now, I exist?"

Julius ignored his sarcastic question. "take her to the castle, make sure Blood doesn't get to her and...just _what_ happened to your eyes?" Boris pointed at the crimson swirl.

"I'm under the 'obsession'?"

"the what?"

"no time for that" the tiny doll interrupted them "I don't want Blood coming back and suddenly finding me here" the clock man dipped his head in a haste nod.

He gazed at Boris "you have to ask Vivaldi however I fear that she may not know _anything_ about it, she's just been crowned five years ago"

"I've got an even better idea" Boris' facial expression proved smug. The glint in his evil-looking eyes was caught by Julius and he blinked his eyes closed in silent approval.

"Mary" he muttered

"the old man's older than anyone else in Heart Country" the cat man laughed proudly.

"yes, I just hope he'll take the news well" Julius clasped his pained head, another headache approaching. A foggy image of the 'old' man recieving his first heart attack crossing his mind.

"believe me, Julius" Alice smiled kindly at him "your the _only_ one who made my appearance epic"

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

"what's this? Cotton candy, it tastes more like 'cotton'" Mary Gowland, energetic in the middle of the day as opposed to Boris who's been begging to rest after being Alice's running carriage the entire morning.

"I'm trying to run a business here and here, the cotton candy stall is terrible. Are you listening?"

"yes, sir. We'll attend to that"

"please do" he switched his glare to Boris. "and what is it you want to discuss with me?" he growled, definitely not in the mood for one of Boris' lousy jokes.

"it's about the cake that can make you grow, know anything 'bout it, old man?"

the amusement park owner looked less amused "oh-ho and you expect _me_ to tell you where it is? Forget it, I don't want to see you running around and messing up the park while your a giant" Boris' face was serious today and that was pretty unusual.

The half-cat man grunted "it's not for me, old man. It's for Alice"

"Alice?" suddenly, all negative emotions disappeared in Gowland. It was no doubt because of Alice and the effect she has on all the role holders, even her name did wonders to an old timer like him. "why? What's wrong with her?"

Boris lifted something out of his pocket. "see for yourself" she was poised onto Boris' out-streatched palm, her two legs relaxed to one side and her elegant hair tickled his wrist as it cascaded downward. Her dress added to the pretty sight and she secretly smiled in pride.

"hm, well, isn't this interesting" Gowland grinned, staring at her as a scientist would a discovery.

"Mary Gowland" she took to formal tone "do you know anything... _absolutely_ anything about the cake?" he nodded briefly.

"come with me" he started to walk off in the direction of the ticket booth. Alice waited for Boris to stalk after but a couple of seconds passed and he hadn't moved a muscle. She looked at him curiously.

"sorry to say" the look he presented in turn was truly apologetic. "your kind of heavy on my hand"

she flushed outrageously "d-don't say it outloud!"

She jumped into his pocket, forgetting the big risk of her leap. She was too absorbed in the imaginary concept of Boris labeling her 'fat'. Her tiny brain sure was creative with how she daydreamed it. And then she remembered Blood used the same method to bring her around, now her cheeks were on fire. By the time she was back to her senses, the two were inside the ticket booth, a table seperating them from the old man. Boris assured her out and flipped an empty tea cup over so she may have a seat.

"where exactly did you hear about that cake?" Mary sipped his tea, steaming hot.

"Ace, he was the first who mentioned it" she moistened her chapped lips, longing for one of Gowland's chocolate chip cookies.

Low and behold, an entire tray was brought in by facelesses.

"your hungry, aren't you?" she didn't respond, she wouldve drooled nastily if ever she dared to open her mouth. She immediatly snapped out half of a cookie and devoured her lunch.

"we didn't eat since this morning" Boris joined in, munching on Alice's other half.

The man opposite to them nodded "about this cake" although the foreigner was anxiously feeding her growling stomach, she still listened attentively to Gowland. "it does make people grow, it's naturally chocolate flavored and it's best you _don't_ go looking for it"

she tilted her head. "why?"

"it's very tempting. Even if you were full, you could never resist it. One look and it's over. Unless someone else was currently eating it" he abrupt himself melodramatically, eyeing the pattern his tea leaves spread.

"well, that's fine with me since it'll make me grow anyway" she swallowed solid belgian, teeth ready for another bite. "do you know _where _it is?"

"it should be somewhere in the castle"

"tell me something I don't know" Alice bit her tongue, unintentionally interrupting Mary's explanation, casually gesturing him to continue.

"alright I will; with each little lick, you grow an inch. With each little bite, you grow one foot taller. So on and so forth"

"any...side-effects?" Alice gulped, reluctant to have asked that.

"once you've eaten any part of the cake, you'll stink"

she said something smart like "...huh?"

"stink. You know, rot, reek, smell. Your scent will be like a skunk's behind and no soap can cure it"

"that's it?"

Gowland cocked an eyebrow at her. "have you ever _smelled_ a skunk's behind?" she was about to answer 'no' back when constant screaming came from outside. A faceless woman banged at the door of the ticket booth, locked for privacy. "sir Gowland, we got a situation here!"

Boris was the first out, he loved action like this and the screaming indicated it. Strange, he heard no guns firing. He strolled out into the open, leaving Gowland and Alice in the booth. And after a couple of feet, something transparent separated from his being without his knowledge of it. His natural instincts tugged on him though that something was different and his yellow-green eyes peeked behind his shoulder in a furrowed face. He shrugged, seeing nothing, oblivious to the evil spirit escaping.

Back at the booth, Mary adjusted his spectacles and looked over at the female outsider, smiling. "come come, wouldn't want you to get lost" Alice hopped onto Gowland's shirt pocket and they followed after the Cheshire cat's trail. They lost him entirely as they got outside.

"where is that damn cat?" annoyed, Gowland scratched his gray hair. "disappearing at a time like this"

Our heroine was quiet. Quiet because she found the cause of the screaming. It wasn't the fact that two giant kids came trampling into the amusement park like elephants. Not of the fact that they broke stalls and booths and scared off customers. Not of the fact that they were familiar to her yet she couldnt make out their faces properly.

Nope, not any of that, just the humungous sight of them naked, now _that_ brought chills up her spine.

**AN: so getting bored already, hm? Tell me honestly, boring, corny, dumb or slightly entertaining? Either answer will help :)**

**again, in order:**

**Fate Pwns You: LOL sorry, Peter's going to be in the _next_ chapter, wonder if it'll be funny. Then again, what am I talking about? It's Peter. ;)**

**RoseQueen2424: did I answer your question? :D Oh, haha, new word then! Hm, I can name _alot _of Ace fans, one being my friend and really, who can blame 'em? Sure, he's a psycho but that just adds to his great character ;) thanx!**

**pasty face: thanx. Don't worry _everyone _in Wonderland likes to kill...somewhat. LOL**

**moonflower princess: thanx. I hope I cleared that minor confusion :). haha, fishy makes second appearance! :D**

**elliotxalicexlover: thanks. Oooh, share the cookies pls! ;)**

**Thanx guys for reviewing. Now another thing, the 6 impossible things is almost ending at 6, got any ideas? :D **

**Phew! Longest chapter yet. Thanks for reading, ciao!**


	5. Wondering What It'll Be Like to Fly

**AN: Soooooo instead of using the fifth impossible thing, I decided to try something else. According to the movie, while Alice was dancing with Hammish, she said the impossible idea of 'flying'. Turns out, thats the FIRST impossible thing she says. I'll use it then for this chapter. Hey, at least its shorter. ;)**

**_Chapter 5: Wondering What It'll be Like to Fly_**

Look up. Look up. Look UP. Alice taunted herself constantly because looking straight ahead would mean looking straight into a-

"Daaaaaaamn, that's huge!" Gowland stared in awe.

"Gowland!"

"I know, I know, but seriously, those balls are just... _humungous_!"

"T_hey're_ humungous so ofcourse, that...part should be humungous too" Alice reasoned, her eyes aligned to the clouds.

"Oh... right" he chuckled like he didn't know the reason of it's abnormal largeness. Hand behind his head, he rubbed in embarassment.

"Dee! Dum!" Boris' voice echoed from across the lot.

"Found our missing cat!" Gowland beamed, Alice didn't mind the old timer.

"Boris!" she cried. Through the noise, the chaos and the destruction plus her puny voicebox that had shrunk along with her, he heard her, strangely he did. Must be the cat ears, she should get some soon.

"Alice!" he yelled, his hands in megaphone mode. Then his wrists slightly drooped and he stared at her like she was an alien that levitated from the sky. "Alice? Is that you?"

She yelled behind her palm. "Who do you think it is?"

"But...why are you so small?" she raised a fair eyebrow but because Boris was so far and she was so tiny, he didn't notice it. She could've sworn she saw his mouth murmer '...something wrong with my eyes...' pressing the directed eyeballs in disbelief. His eyes. It took a couple of squints to make Alice realize that they weren't red anymore, the unnatural red that showed he was 'obsessed' with her. It was gone. But then, why didn't he remember anything? 'memory disorientation" Blood's voiced explanation echoed in her head in clear detail. She sighed, why did things have to get worse?

"There's no time, Boris!" she cried, snapping him back to reality. "we've got to stop those giant men before they kill someone"

He eyed her as if she's gone mad. "those arent giant men, it's just Dee and Dum"

He pointed at the two hovering figures. That's when she noticed that although they were big, the giants were peculiarly short. In fact, kid-like. Boris' words then got into her head, a term here which means 'last-minute'.

"Those are the Tweedles!" she said to Gowland

"Oh, the Mafia twins?"

She dipped her head "We've got to do something!"

"I agree, we should do something. They're destroying my park!" he responded frantically.

"Gowland, focus!"

"Sorry, I'm trying to run a business here, Alice. Either way, what can we do? They're too big and that's an understatement for you" he had to yell with all that's going on. Someone even ran past him and bumped him in the process, he grumbled. Alice didn't want to admit it but he was right, the two grown twins were totally out of anyone's league. She couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for the kids, an unconvincing image of them in odd size running about in fear crossing her mind.

Then again, maybe they wanted this, to cause havoc amongst everyone for their own enjoyment. It's possible. Her mind went on a short debate, whether to intervene them or to leave them be. Her final decision seemed simple.

Gowland meanwhile had strugged through an endless crowd of facelesses, attempting to get back into a safer area. He was pushed aside by a broad man and he toppled over. He cursed

"Darn crowds" he pulled himself together and brushed off excess dust.

Mary then heaved "Well at least, you didn't get hurt, right Alice?" he patted his non-responding pocket. "Alice?"

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

"Something is going on at the amusement park" Vivaldi brushed a manicured hand against the window, two big heads popping up from trees surrounding the mentioned territory.

"MAID!"

"Yes, your majesty?"

"What is going on in the amusement park?"

"I-I don't know, your majesty" the poor girl bowed, her faceless appearance practically begging for mercy. She was aware though that the rheigning monarch was not quite the 'merciful' type or so to say.

"Alright then, off with your-"

"Haha, her majesty is getting harsh" the two ladies turned to the newcomers, the famous red knight with a dormouse for company.

"Ace" Vivaldi saluted, forgetting her recent order to severe someone's head much to the maid's relief. "we did not order you here, what are you doing in here?"

"I was just leading Mr. Mousy here to the living room of the Hatter's Mansion, what are you doing?" he answered cheerfully.

The red queen shut her eyes and sucked in an exaggerated breath "don't tell us you've lost your way again, Ace. After living in this castle for how many years-"

"Oh! I'm at the castle?" he surveryed the room incrediously. "I could've sworn I was in the Hatter Mansion just five minutes ago"

Several different reactions to his simple mindedness: a vein popped at the left of Vivaldi's forehead, Pierce sighing in regret and the maid giggling behind her palm.

"Ok, before we lose our temper, just tell us what's going on out there" she made way so both visitors could see the situation through the clear, horizontally-wide window. Two tufts of raven hair dancing towards the park.

"An invasion?" Pierce cocked his head.

Ace smiled "well, isn't this going to be interesting"

"It couldn't be an invasion, no smoke, no bombs, their just...kids" Vivaldi frowned, half in disappointment and half in burning curiousity. "call White!" she instructed the maid, who had gone before she had ended the 'White' surname.

"We are a little worried" she grimaced, setting her bright orbs downcast. "what if Alice is near that area?"

"Alice?" the two remaining men chorused, looking at eachother in awe.

"Strange, I couldve sworn I saw her at the forest last night" Ace tapped his chin.

"R-Really? I d-didn't see her" Pierce stared at the ceiling, avoiding the knight's curious stare. Ace smirked, what a terrible liar Mr. Mousy was. Suddenly, a gun BOOMed loud in the hallways external to the room and a frightened female scream followed after, then a dead silence.

Vivaldi exaggerated a sigh. "don't shoot maids because they've called you, White"

He sauntered into the room, switching back his onyx pistol into his precious golden clock. "like hell I care if some card dies" Pierce gulped at his violent aura. Ace merely pressed another smile. "my, ain't sir Peter the gentle rabbit"

The said rabbit rolled his eyes at the clueless knight, turning to the red queen. "this better be good"

"It is" she promised "we need you to visit the amusement park, offer help to the owner in case of damage" Peter groaned, taking off his glasses, he began to clean the round lenses boringly.

"No form of business required. The real reason your being sent is to check if Alice is alright in there"

CRACK!

"We suspect her to be there, it is in her nature to be worried about simple lives in danger, you realize that, do you not?" she didn't get a reply, didn't really expect one. Once the name 'Alice' pops up into the situation, he wouldnt hesitate. He shrewdly dashed out of the room before the queen could finish general briefing, blindly hitting one wall after the other. Peter was never the type to do casual politeness, he wouldn't start now.

"What was that just now?" Pierce picked up the fallen glasses, bend in an unusual way that it would be impossible to be reused.

"Sir Peter is always serious when it comes to Alice" Ace's grin widened and that annoyed the queen to no limits.

"It can't be helped; if we didn't mention Alice, he would never have gone"

"True" Ace nodded "but are you sure that Alice is at the amusement park now? Sir Peter will be very angry if he doesn't see her there"

The red queen's sharp nose pushed against the sturdy glass of the window, herself attempting a closer look.

"Oh, she'll be there alright" her natural blood-red lips revealed a half-smile. "we guarantee it"

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

If you were Alice's size and wandered into a crowded area with no protection of anyone bigger to warn the walking civilians that you were right under their foot, you'd think twice about leaving Gowland's side. On serious accounts, these were no 'walking civilians', these were panicking mobs of customers. All were facelesses but that didn't change the blonde foreigner's drastic situation at all. At one point, someone even stamped a shoe on the back part of her dress and left a _wonderful_ print on her attire. Oh joy!

She made it to the safe corner of an abandoned booth. Breathless? Yes. Giving up? No. Alice made it a goal to save the twins despite the cold memory of them trying to kill her, she put that aside, temporarily.

"Boris!" he heard her once in a mess of a disaster, he can hear her again.

"Boris!" she called even louder, the desperation in her voice hadn't falter. She was about to try again when she saw a glimpse of his feather boa. Oh, how it stands out in the crowd without him trying. She smiled as a large black punk boot covered her vision of the crowd.

"You rang?" he smirked; slowly elevating her with two hands, thumbs strictly at her shoulders. "I guess the explanation of why your small will have to be postponed"

She simpered "probably"

"Hm, from the look on your face, I say you have some ridiculous plan to try and stop the twins"

"And if I did, would you still help me?"

He acted as if deep in thought. "I bet it's risky"

"It is"

"And dangerous"

"Like a mouse in an elephant cage"

"And I have this creepy feeling, it'll be disgusting" he peeked at her fragile little body, shruddering at his last word.

"Who knows? You still up for it?" he leaned down, all the way down until his eyes, pools of cat-like lime look good enough to jump into.

"Is that a trick question?"

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

"On my signal"

"yeah!" they were perched atop the highest tree on the block, the fresh wind gently russling their bangs.

Alice inhaled, loving it's abundancy and the way it makes do with her blonde hair. The treetop was like a comfy bed in spite of the lush leaves, big enough to fit a whole family. Insects were minimum since they wouldn't dare climb this high, the pressure would be against them. Alice could've stayed there forever had she not needed to supervise her plan. Her vision aimed at the opening of the forest and the terminal exit of the amusement park, the twins were bound to pass there sooner or later.

Few minutes went by, Boris scratched at his cheek "are you sure they'll pass here?"

"Positive, they should take the bait"

"And if they can't _see_ the bait?"

Alice clicked her tongue "then we improvise...oh wait, here they come!" they bent down to a lunging position, at least Boris did, Alice gripped anxiously at the back of his collar. Mary Gowland ran out, tripped and then, ran again.

Boris cuffed his mouth and snickered "how the hell did you get him to wear _that_?"

The old man wore a bright sapphire gown, complete with kitchen apron and average black shoes, socks stretched akwardly to his thick, hairy knees. His chin was forcibly clean shaven and his hair replaced with a yellow wig. His spectacles were gone and instead, he wore wood-brown contacts.

Step one: Distraction, complete.

"Well, I can say he looks better now" Boris rubbed his chin as if keen in observation. "he looks just like you"

SLAP!

"Yeow, Alice! What-"

"Shhh, here they come" she ducked behind his pink fluff of hair as the Tweedles charged after Mary.

"Onee-san, don't be scared! We won't hurt you" Dum stretched his hands out to grab 'Alice', who sidestepped out of reach and the kid crushed dust in his palm. Mary glanced back at the clutched hand, he would have been a goner.

"T-That's a lie!" Gowland advanced ahead, slightly shaken in fear.

"We aren't lying, onee-san! Slow down!" Dee jumped on the fake Alice but Gowland dodged to the left, the gate guard missing by a millimeter.

"Yeah, we just want to play with you!" Dum reminded Alice so much of a child that she couldn't help but pity decieving them. It was momentary though, these kids were masterminds despite their age. She had first-hand experience.

"Any time now, Alice!" Gowland panted. He shouldn't be running at his age, he was losing energy and fast. Dum reached for the man again.

"Now, Boris!" the teenager held the rope between his teeth and pounced on the Tweedles. He landed on the tree across the road and bounced for the next marked tree, designing a perfect square around the oblivious twins. He knelt at the starting point tree, tying the rope up tight.

Step two: Immobalization, check.

"Hey!" Dee halted, testing Boris' rope. "what's this? Some kind of spiderweb?"

Dee caught his brother's arm in excitement. "Ooh, maybe there's a spider somewhere here, let's find it!"

Undetected by the distraut boys, Gowland took his position behind a camophlaged log and collapsing onto the grass, inhaling unhealthily. He was _way_ too old for this and barely survived being trampled over by 'kids'. He coughed, next time, he'd stick to cotton candy and tickets.

Back to our cat hero, the fangs of his teeth shone immaculately as he smirked, with the sure thought that he had gotten to the 'dangerous' part of the plan. He dived, speeding in front of Dum's large button nose. The Tweedle fell over, startled and a minor earthquake shook the country at his collision.

"Woah, did you see that?" he pointed into thin air where his nose was recently, confusing his sibling.

"See what?"

"I think it was the spider" Dum muttered. "must be some rare species, its pink! I think its a poisonous one!"

Dee gasped "fantastic, brother! Let's catch it!"

He spun around, fully determined to catch this poisonous insect. Boris took this oppurtunity and landed skillfully on Dee's shoulder. As Alice predicted, he didn't feel a thing. He yanked out his extra pair of cat ears as requested and proceeded to clip on one of the cat ears onto the giant's earlobe.

"Brother, on your shoulder!" by the time Dee slapped the directed skin, Boris had been long gone. He stuck the second cat ear onto his second captive once the first was distracted.

Step three: Other Requirements, double check.

"Brother, are you sure you saw something?" Dee scratched his scalp, attempting to catch whatever messege his brother was signaling to him.

"I'm telling you, something was on your-"

"BOYS!" they froze. They knew that voice too well.

"Onee-san, is that you? Where are you?" the two shouted at the same time, glimpsing at every possible nook and cranny for the woman.

"Right here" she said firmly. The twin's big heads spun towards the sound, they found a tiny blue blur cross-legged atop a larger purple blur atop the biggest tree in the forest. Known to our heroes as the 'starting point'.

Dum's eyes shrunk to slits "Boris?" The Cheshire cat friendily waved but said nothing. Based on Alice's orders, she does all the talking.

"Dee, Dum, we need to talk. You guys-" she was interrupted by their loud chants

"Onee-san's tiny!" Dee pointed in shock

"Your _right_, brother. Like Polly Pocket or something" Dee agreed with a nod. Er, good, she got their attention.

"Ok, do you know what you guys did to th-"

"Ooh, I want to keep onee-san!" alas, she was interrupted yet again by Dum as he strolled forward optimistically in her direction, muttering joyfully the lines 'Po-la-la-la-la-Polly!'

"Hey, I wanted to keep onee-san first!"

"Um, guys?" Alice's attempts were futile.

"Idiot, I'm getting onee-san! She's _my_ Polly Pocket"

"no, mine! I thought of the 'Polly Pocket' thing first anyway" they both bounded for her with open arms, their huge naked bodies scaring the foreigner half to death.

She screamed and held her hands up, shaking them in front of her. "Get away you perverts!"

They paid her no heed and charged for her. "Onee-san's mine!" "No, mi-!" Dum abrupted his declaration as the two stumbled over the forgotten wire. They crashed onto the road, flipped over accidentally and formed two big butt craters below them.

Alice heaved in relief and her arms dropped, the muscles on it instantly relaxing.

"Was that part of the plan?" Boris raised an eyebrow at her.

"Er, yes! _Exactly_ how I planned it" she coughed, the cat not being entirely convinced. He and company dropped to the ground, the girl conciously averted her eyes once the twins were in plain sight.

"Ok...um, please do it now, Boris" her companion didn't have to be reminded, _it_ was too noticable to be ignored. He grabbed two armfulls of leaves and sprinkled it naturally over censored areas.

Step four: Decorate Balls of Fury, done.

Once the coast was clear, Alice slid from Boris' amethyst bob of hair and leaned leisurely on his neck whilst her feet planted on his shoulder. She blinked at the unconsious twins, drool escaping from their mouths. A horrible stench leaking from their pores. She grabbed her nose.

"You're right about the disgusting part" she remarked, running a free hand through her hair. "even I haven't thought of it" Boris chuckled at her remark, backing away so the smell could disperse temporarily.

"At least one part of it's covered" he replied, she smiled apologetically

"Sorry to say but were not finished yet"

"Didn't think it'll be that easy" Boris released a breath he never knew he held in. "so, what next?"

"We find out how to return them to normal size"

"And yourself?"

She hesitated and inhaled uneasily. "them first, my situation can wait" the cat nodded, avoiding that topic for his doll's sake. Wait, _his _doll? Why is he suddenly feeling so possessive of her? His top teeth gnawed with his bottom to control his thoughts.

"Ok, last step: research. Now, I want you to-"

"Aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice!"

Oh no, not now. Anytime but now. And of all people, why did it have to be _him_? She surveyed the place with extreme caution, waiting for the deathly embrace of a certain rabbit stalker. Her eyesight reached trees, boulders and Gowland's hiding place but never the rabbit-eared man. Her partner had heard it too and was now circling around in a stance considered for defense.

"Alice!" the voice repeated in glee. She tensed as a shadowed figure lunged for her. She screamed

"Don't be scared, Alice. It's just me, Peter" she didn't feel his arms around her (thank god) and yet something bothered her. She peeked at the Prime Minister, he wasn't wearing his glasses. She guessed that without them; he couldn't see a thing, perhaps a faint flash of colors but not a thing.

Thus, explaining why he had unawarably hugged Boris instead of her. A vein appeared on the teen's forehead and Alice knew well that he was not enjoying this. Peter hummed

"are you trying to grow a beard, Alice? Your chin feels itchy. Not that I mind, I'll love you even with a beard!" he piped up optimistically.

"Oh really?" she voiced her question sarcastically. Her place giving her an advantage, for Peter believed it had been the figure he currently embraced that had spoken.

"Ofcourse! I don't even mind if your chests stay flat like this" the rabbit man was suddenly sent soaring out into the woods. Slightly pissed (ok, perhaps not _slightly_), she brought down her vise and narrowed her eyes at the strange phenomena. Did she just smack him so hard he flew into the forest?

Then again, as she glanced at Boris, his own fist was in the air like he had recently punched something or _someone_ square on the face. It dawned her that they had silently combined forces to send that rabbit flying.

"nice job, Boris. But why did _you_ do that?" she asked. He shrugged, resulting her to bounce on his shoulder.

"Well, one. Your chests aren't flat" he saw her raise an eyebrow suspiciously. "hey, that's a compliment!" she shrugged but motioned for him to go on.

"And two. I'm not the type for gays" he said casually. Alice nodded gratefully, Peter was always overexaggerating things when it came to her and Boris had just experienced it the hard way.

Peter White. Prime Minister of the Red Queen, lives in the castle where the cake was suspected to be. Could it be that maybe, just maybe, he was her ticket to grow back? She pondered hard on this, all points agreed with her although deep down she knew that her mind was screaming 'hell no!' to try and stop her. She turned to Boris who had gone bored and was now cleaning off his nails.

"Last step: research" she echoed, attaching Boris' gaze to her

"What's that look on your face?" she smiled devilishly.

"Say your prayers, Boris. It's 'wabbit season!"

**AN: Disclaimers for Polly Pocket and Looney Tunes :P **

**I'm sorry Peter's appearance is short here (like REALLY short) and OC, I personally don't feel like making him rhyme. Yeah I know, its disappointing but he'll be more emphasized on the next chap. :I**

**A million thanks to: Pasty Face, EarthRiddle, Space Whales, RoseQueen2424 and XBlakkuX. ****You guys gave some time to review and I TRULY am grateful, same also to all readers who made it this far. :D Oh and Space Whales, it was epic because Julius was the ONLY role holder who overreacted and fell off his chair at Alice's appearance. :P LOL, I'm getting corny.**

**Well, that's a rap. Fairfarren All! :)**


	6. There's a Place called Wonderland

**AU: The chapter name merely explains that there IS a place called Wonderland, with all the characters, scenes and 'Alice'ness. Yeah, that much I figure. But just so it'll go along with the HnKnA theme. Its also a ride Gowland makes here. All will be explained in this chp. **

**Now, drum roll pls. (-drums being amateurly played-) Badumsh! Here's the next chap:**

_**Chapter 6: There's a Place called Wonderland**_

Our foreigner was left alone. Not really her best plan but she was growing desperate. Boris had gone off to look for the dangerous rabbit. Ofcourse, after she ran through his long list of complaints and unessential objections.

Fortunately for him, the current Peter (the one without his Harry Potter glasses) was evidentally a useless one, he'd probably think anyone would be her and would stop to think before shooting someone. Hm, maybe she should tell the queen to forbid glasses from her workers, oh that'll be the day.

Alice's own mission was to keep watch over the twins until help got back, namely Boris with Peter in tow. She'd also have to endure the smell without complaints at the agreed distance. She had to admit though, it was the most boring step she fixated on. Staring at the drool-denched, nude and gigantic kids were as exciting as looking at leaves until they wilted away, Whoop-dee-doo!

One time though it did arouse her dead senses: TOOT! Dee's butt exploded and Dum muttered under his breath "brother, go answer the door" squirming in the tight space.

She sighed, picked up a random twig and began drawing circles on the sandy floor with it's pointed tip. Boris had better get back soon or she'll die of boredom. As if in timing, she heard a rustle in the neighboring bushes and that started her.

A squirrel. She held a fist to her pounding heart, it's probably a squirrel. That was before a boot smashed in front of her face, she swallowed back her screams. For the owner of the boot hadn't noticed her yet and his gaze was fixed on the giants she was intended to watch. She then heard his voice that gave off his identity away almost immediatly.

"Stupid kids" he grumbled "you have to sleep at a time like this?" Elliot March. Alice saw him trot over to them, hands on hips. He playfully kicked Dum's numb arm, aware that the Tweedle felt nothing due to the boot's smallness as opposing to the large limb.

"Man, you guys stink. Did you even take a bath this morning?"

Intuition told Alice to hide and her feet found themselves moving backward in a patient motion. Yes, she trusted Elliot but under the circumstances, she had to agree that a violent Elliot would truly be frightening. However as the hare directed a gun to Dum's head, her face paled.

"Time to clean up this mess"

"NO!" Alice clasped a hand over her mouth, she couldn't believe she did that. Sure Alice, call out to everyone and tell them your right there. Small and vulnerable, ready for an attack of any kind.

Elliot whirled around "who's there?" she bit her dry lip, she's got to learn how to hold her tongue.

"If you don't come out, I'll shoot everywhere until you do" the loud click announcing him reloading his gun, made her heart skip a beat and she reluctantly dragged herself out. Her doll-sized body visible to the March Hare as soon as she exposed herself, must be the bright primary color she wore.

"Alice?" his hand loosened its grip around his gun and in seconds, it toppled to the ground. He looked at her with eyes widened so much, it hurt to lock with them. He switched his shocked stare to the Tweedles, at her and then the Tweedles, Alice then the Tweedles, Alice then the Tweedles, Tweedles then Alice, Alice then Tweedles, Aweedles and then Twalice, Tweedles then finally her.

"Did the world _flip_ or something?" his tone wasn't angry yet wasn't calm either.

"You tell me" Alice replied, sitting down on the dusty ground.

Elliot joined her "I will once I figure it out"

It was silent for the next few minutes and the girl was tempted to scribble mindless nonsense onto the ground again. Elliot decided to break the silence and heaved noisily "I told the twins not to eat it but they did"

"What are you talking about?" she asked, looking at the weed-sprouted soil dully.

"That stupid cake, it was in our fridge with a 'DO NOT TOUCH' sign on it" the foreigner instantly tensed at the familiar phrase but the hare was oblivious to the movement. "now we have a big hole in the mansion. Damn, I got to fix up this mess until Blood gets back. And then, there's the amusement park damage to pay fo-"

"wait, wait a second, where did you get that cake?"

Elliot peered at her as her gaze intensified. "Blood got it as a gift from the Red Queen, symbol of peace or something" she drew closer at the information, Elliot flushed slightly at the cut of far proximity.

"Is there...any left?" her heart quickened as did his. So tiny, he thought, she's cute when she's small.

"There was half of it but...Blood sold it"

It was a complete slap-to-her-face, her jaw _practically_ dropped like it did. She retreated with the same face, the hare at once regretting what he had just said.

"I was...so close" she muttered (to herself mostly), fingers sliding up her face. She won't cry. She won't. The first tear will lead to weakness. She had shown that to Julius but they were in private quarters. Here, out in the open, it's bound to produce enemies.

"I'm sorry"

She stared at her temporary comrade and wiped at her damp eyes "you don't have to say sorry for anything, Elliot. It's...my fault for drinking that stupid tea"

"It's _my_ fault for not having the guts to stop you" he countered, she erected an eyebrow.

"you remember?"

He threw a thumb at the twins. "those kids probably don't but Blood and I do"

"How?" she couldn't understand this, not any of this. Why did the stupid tea have to be so damn complicated?

"Well, after you drank the tea; you got a little dizzy. Blood ordered the twins to bed, in case the tea had alcohol in it and we...didn't want them to think you were drunk" he searched for a reaction, he was instead urged to continue "later though, Blood ensured that there wasn't any alcohol in it. All at once, you collapsed onto the table. We had to carry you to the guest room and the next morning, you and Blood disappear from the mansion. I haven't seen Blood since"

"Blood - disappeared?" her eyelids rose in suprise.

"Yeah, I don't know where but he's gone" he replied. Alice shrugged, not necessarily concerning herself with Elliot's answer, there were more pressuring thoughts dominating her mind as of now.

"If you haven't seem Blood since, how did you know he sold the cake?" she inquired

"The remainder was signed for shipping" she crossed her arms and thought, contemplating _really_ hard for the sake of the twins and herself. Well, since there's no alcohol in the drink, the kids can simply just sip the tea and be back to normal. But then again, there are the side-effects and they probably tasted that tea before with no effects whatsoever. 'only role holders can drink that tea, it has side-effects for foreigners like you' the Hatter's voice replayed in her mind and she grimaced. Even in her mind, Blood annoyed her to no limits. Ok, so the tea is useless, now she's back to the beginning. And what about the cake?

"Where did he ship it to?"

Elliot narrowed his eyes, trying to remember. "I don't know who but-"

"I'm back!" Boris popped out from a berry shrub, holding up something white. "miss me?"

Recently, Peter had swirled into rabbit form and had hopelessly attempted to convince Alice (in this case, Boris) to come to the castle with him. Boris conveniently grabbed at his two long ears to bring him back.

Elliot winced, his hand unconsiously reaching for his own alike rabbit ears "that's really painful, you know?"

The cat suddenly noticed his presence "Oh, the March Hare. Why is he here?"

"He was trying to help me brainstorm on how to get the twins back to normal, turns out the cake was at the Hatter's mansion"

"So finding Peter was useless?" his right eye twitched.

"Er, yes, sorry Boris"

"Ah, it's fine. I got payback for his hug anyway" he stooped to view the frozen rabbit and his complexion went smug. "not so cocky when you've got your ears in a twist, huh?"

"You'd feel the same way if you had _hare_ ears" Elliot defended, not necessarily for Peter's sake though.

"He has _cat_ ears, there more sensitive" Alice fingered her perspiring forehead, obviously tired "on the other hand, I'm stumped of ideas"

"Does that means no more ridiculous plans?" another voice sounded from behind the four. Gowland walked over, his whole body embellished with little broken twigs and dead leaves.

"Wow, what happened to you?"

"Fell asleep, got attacked by a flying rabbit" he rubbed at his foggy contacts, Alice whistled nervously.

"Then _I_ saved him" Boris added with a contempt smirk.

"Yes, yes, the damn cat saved me prentending to be Alice" Gowland brushed at his sleeves as the cat frowned

"Old man's never grateful"

Elliot pointed a finger in the air to gain attention. "just a question, Gowland, what _on earth_ are you wearing?"

"It's vintage"

"Oh!" Elliot suddenly smiled "can I try it next?"

"Guys, guys, quiet! I can't think" Alice shoved her palms upward, scrunching her eyes in irritation.

"That's even better for us" Gowland commented, earning him a glare from a certain female.

"I don't see you having any bright ideas"

"I-I have an - idea" the rabbit whimpered, paralized by Boris' strong grasp. Our heroine glanced at the captured animal as the Cheshire Cat gazed at her with a 'what-do-I-do?' look.

"Let him go" without a single word uttered back, he followed her orders and Peter flopped onto his knees. He patted his aching rabbit ears.

"Thank you, Alice!" he jumped at where the voice was and wrapped two arms around a neck clingingly.

"What the hell, White! I'm not Alice!" Elliot roughly pushed him off and Peter landed on his behind with a POFF! thanks to his ball of a tail.

Alice sighed, approaching the rabbit sympathetically "Peter, no more hugging, especially when you can't see anything, understand?" she extended a hand to his paw and stroked it tenderly.

"Alice?" he asked, more careful this time. "w-why is your hand so small?"

"No more hugging, okay?" she repeated, her smooth voice making the Prime Minister's heart jump ten-fold.

"At least, until after?" he pouted, his cute, furry complexion slicing through Alice like a knife. No, she thought to herself, that won't work this time. Nope.

"Please?"

"Ok, fine!" she stated, giving in far too easily. "anyways Peter, what do you have in mind?"

"They could just transform"

She stared at him, dumbfounded "come again?"

"By transform, you mean turn into teens?" Elliot asked, checking his neck for bruises of any kind. Peter affirmed with a nod.

"Hang on, what do you guys mean?" Alice titled her head in absolute bewilderment. The White Rabbit turned to her, his large eyes dead serious. She had to bite her tongue from saying the 'cute' word outloud.

"The bloody twins have the ability to transform into older forms of themselves just like I can a rabbit. If they do this, I think that their size will only apply to their original forms. They could just be teens until whatever's keeping them this way wears off" Peter's eyes twinkled, aware that his idea was a good one. He heartily hoped it impressed Alice and he stared at the yellow blur before him expectantly, it jerked forward in a cough.

"That's a...good idea, Peter"

"Do you really think so?"

"Suuuuure" she blinked at the other role holders, awaiting their own compliments. They provided no such however each held a facial expression that proved they didn't believe Peter could think it up. She only wished he had his glasses to see it. Then again, Peter with glasses was a deadly Peter whether he likes you or not.

"Oh Alice" he clapped his two palms enthusiastically "you must love me so much to think that wa-"

"Don't get your hopes too high" she snapped at him, his bunny ears drooped in disappointment.

"He's right about the transformation" all eyes turned to Gowland who had pitched in verbally. "it could work"

"It _could_" Alice echoed as if trying to convince herself.

"The problem is how we're going to get them to do it" Elliot leaned back, his back resting pleasingly on a smooth rock. "their stubborn kids, I'll tell you that"

Boris smiled a devious smile that could almost match Alice's when she announced the last step. "there's only _one_ person who can get them to do that"

Gowland agreed "someone who's got a big mind full of crazy plans"

Elliot gazed at the hovering sky "someone who's small and won't get noticed easily"

Boris smile held a gentlier version this time. "someone who has the heart to think of others first before herself"

Peter chimed in jubilously "someone who loves me!"

Alice blushed and glared at Peter "oh, hell no!"

{~}{~}{~}{~}{~}{~}{~}{~}{~}{~}{~}

"Dee~"

"Hm, yes onee-san?"

"Can you do me a favor?"

"(yawn) If I can slice you with my scythe, sure"

"Ok, I want to see you as a teenager, can I?"

"All the better, it'll be (yawn!) easier to slice you"

"Tell your brother too"

"...Brother"

"Yes brother?"

"Let us...(yawn) transform"

"Oh...ohk..."

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

Alice retreated to the group, they sat on boulders and sipped tea from identical tea cups. They didn't notice her coming; after all, she was small and even if they glanced upward they still couldn't see her. She tapped her foot impatiently, snatching Elliot's attention. He peeked at her from behind an expensive cup as the other three drank in perfect timing.

"How did it go?"

"Where did you get the tea?"

"Doesn't matter, so how'd it go?"

She exhaled "Boris, please get a new patch of leaves to cover their privates"

"Hey, you okay, Alice?" the cat asked, gulping down the liquid mixing in his mouth "you dont look so good" She laughed giddily, her face literally turning a sickly green.

"The smell was just _great_!" she collapsed in front of them. All three role holders plus rabbit hurried around her in a perfect circle, leaving their tea to roaming insects.

"Alice, please don't die!" Peter blindly stumbled forward, stretching his hands out in search of his beloved.

"You idiot, she's not dead" Elliot smacked him on his skull "and why are you still in rabbit form?"

"I thought Alice would like me to be like this for a while" Peter cringed as he touched the bruise on his sensitive animal skin.

"She's just unconscious but she'll be okay in a few minutes" Mary examined her, pressing a thumb to her wrist. "Boris, attend to the twins"

"But Alice-"

"She's fine, just go!" he worriedly glanced back at the girl but soon sprinted off towards the Tweedles.

"She's so fragile" Elliot remarked, placing a cold gloved thumb on her small forehead. Peter saw this vaguely and slapped his hand away.

"She's small, she's suppose to be" said Gowland.

Elliot breathed "I know, it's just..." he scratched the back of his head, considering himself irritating. "if only Blood hadn't sold that cake than maybe we wouldn't be in this mess"

"Wait, _the_ cake?" the two looked down at the small shocked Peter.

"It's what Alice says can help her grow back to size" Gowland furthered.

Peter put a furry finger to his fluffy chin. "so where is it now?"

"I saw the papers Blood signed. Its shipped off to Joker country" Elliot responded with another hapless sigh.

Suddenly, Gowland beamed mischevously. He flashed a 'V' with his fingers and positioned it under his chin. "hoho, time to try out my new ride then"

"This is no time for your unnecassary advertisement, Gowland" Peter scowled, apparently it looked funny when he did it as a rabbit.

"Oh, but it'll make Alice happy" he prodded on, his grin widened as Peter bit his bunny lip.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Christmas? Continue" he gestured shrewdly yet Gowland suppressed a laugh at his change of heart.

"It's a ride that'll throw you to any country you wish"

"More like kill you at any time you wish" Boris' voice could be heard from a distance. He had the grown-up twins tied up with the rope he used recently to trip them. He dragged the bloody twins to the gang, they remained clothless yet the cat had been sure that their bottoms were completely covered in make-shift pants of mud and leaves. He grumbled, presenting the kids to the older men.

"we are _not_ and I say _not_ gonna try your 'Wonderland' ride"

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

Our foreigner fainted. Why? Something about a horrible smell, a cross between a garbage-littered river and the smelly armpit if an old geezer. Yes, that was the reason.

Currently, Alice was awake but had decided that her eyes being closed was a healthy option, at least for a while. She felt the soothing aura of being protected, watched over, loved, she didn't want it to depart from her senses. A damp compress was pressed onto her forehead and whoever did it, brushed stray locks of her bangs to the side. She smiled in a gesture of thanks.

"Alice just smiled!" the person cried extatically, hurting her tiny ears. She winced, making her regret doing such a tiny action.

"Your hallucinating, White. She's unconscious. She couldn't have done that" she overheard Gowland say logically with every bit of pride stuck to that one statement.

"If you'd stop being a lazy ass and come over here then you'd believe me" she heard the flames of a fire trickle towards the sky and then the poking of a stick into the element. Gowland's voice continued near the poking sound.

"How's that for gratitude? Who lent you his own spectacles to see, hm?" Peter didn't respond, instead he grumbled and turned away. "your welcome!" Our heroine couldn't help but giggle at her imagination playing with the Gowland-Peter scenario. Who knew those two had the same grade of glasses? Well, this _is_ Wonderland, there's probably no other grade then their kind.

"Hm, so onee-san is awake is she?" an unfamiliar voice hummed beside her, scaring her (but just a bit).

"Brother, come over here" _Brother_? Oh, that didn't possibly mean-.

"Allow me" she instantaneously felt two nails slowly skim up and down the side of her body where her rib cage was located, triggering her funny bone. She held in her breath but it was futile, she giggled right there and then.

"Alright, alright, I'm awake, stop! Stop!" she panted, laughter escaping her throat uncontrollably. By the time the two strangers had stopped their little tickling game, all present role holders ran to her side. She blinked a few times, absorbing the night scene.

"So what did I miss?" as her vision restored, the foreigner's heart skipped a beat. Not only were there the six men surrounding her but six pairs of eyes that simuntaneously glowed the deathly maroon she had forgotten all about. The six men sequenced a grin that appeared evil in her eyes and she crawled away in fear.

"My my, onee-san seems to be scared of our new appearance, brother" one boy on her left turned to the boy on her right, the others keeping careful surveilance.

"Perhaps, brother" he picked up her hand with his pointer finger and thumb. "Lady, it is me, Dee and this is Dum. We're older now" she swallowed hard on the remainder of her saliva, this can't be happening.

Dee's arm was suddenly yanked away from her and a voice commanded "Hey, don't get too close to her"

"What's it to you, newbie-hare?" Dum's eyes narrowed suspiciously whilst his brother shaking off 'hare' germs from his hand.

"Yes I too want to ask, what's it to you?" Peter in his human form complete with Gowland's far too tiny spectacles, glared furiously at the hare. The man grumbled but didnt provide an answer. Peter triumphantly simpered and he reached for Alice's free arm, unnoticably shivering in fear.

"Don't you dare, White. Not a finger on Alice" Gowland exchanged dirty looks with the White Rabbit.

"Don't you tell me what to do, old man" Peter growled, his hand patting his waist coat for his clock in defensive preparation.

Alice searched the area for Boris, didn't he promise he'd fight it? He did for how many hours and survived through it, he even conquered it. He'll help her, she was sure of it. Alice was then and there elevated from the ground by two hands at her armpits, abrupting her thoughts.

"Only _I_ call Gowland 'old man', you gay bunny" Boris scowled at a flustered Peter.

"I'm _not _gay" his eyes narrowed murderously.

"Yeah? tell that to the three _men_ you hugged toda-" he was intervened by the doll flapping her arms at the hold the cat held on her, demanding his attention. He gave it to her but a single look told her that he wasn't in the mood.

"Boris, fight it! It's the 'obsession', it's gotten to you again" she cried

His eyebrows furrowed "obsess-what?"

It hit her like a firetruck. He forgot everything. Her explanation, their journey, Gowland's cookies, anything that comprised with her smallness. She eyed the deadly looks of the other role holders, enough to kill eachother. She had to get out of this crazy mess and fast.

"Take your filthy hands of _my_ Alice, cat!" Peter's fingers tapped on his clock impatiently.

"_Your_ Alice? I don't remember Alice agreeing to that" Elliot glared "but I suppose your right, hands off!"

"Stupid, ugly, idiot, dumb newbie-hare's right...for once" Dum muttered the last part.

"Hey!"

"Guys, guys!" the girl being fought for stretched her hands in front of her, begging for them to stop. They stared at Alice incrediously, all at the verge of pulling out their personal weapons and wringing eachother's necks.

"Ok everyone, just calm down for _one_ freaking second"

"with pleasure, young lady" came a dark voice from deep within the woods. Fourteen eyes turned to the point of the sound, crows sreeched in warning as they flew away from it. Alice's heart halted and refused to beat as she held in her breath in negative anxiety. Please, please, _please_ don't let it be who she thinks it is.

"I happen to enjoy calm fights" the man entered the field, raven hair falling over his shoulder combed in place like his long absence had been at the spa instead of the woods.

"Blood?" Elliot's eyes widened "what are you doing here?"

"Elementary business, my dear friend" he tapped his cane "now hand over the doll and nobody gets hurt" at the sight of his long gun, the role holders went mad. To put it simply, all hell broke loose and Alice was unfortunately in the middle of it.

**AU: Thanx Space Whales and Pasty face for reviewing. :3 It got me to update.**

**On the other hand, I have a feeling I shud either drop this or end this quick. :/ haha, just a feeling. Pressure and school work are the reasons, others are mental block and such x(. ****I'll decide by the end of the week.**

**Thank you for reading. See ya next time! :D**


	7. I can Play the Joker

**AN: As Alice in Wonderland fans know, the last impossible thing is 'I can slay the Jabberwocky'. On my part though, I don't want to put a scaly, deep-voiced, electric-breathing creature in the story, so instead I changed the title...slightly; but it still works! ;) Notice the similarities and I'll give you a cookie! 'Gonna be long though so be prepared! :3 **

**From 'I can Slay the Jabberwocky', the title becomes:  
**

_**Chapter 7: I can Play the Joker**_

"Isn't it great her majesty ordered us to visit the amusement park since sir Peter hasn't returned yet?" said the knight, skipping happily into the forest.

"Well, I'm not really part of this...I'm not supposed to be ordered around by someone I'm not under"

"Haha, but if you don't listen to her majesty, you'll lose your head" Pierce sighed, his mouse ears flopping over in timing.

"I guess so"

"Ooh, what's that?" Ace suddenly halted; peering at a high hill from under the palm of his hand, positioning it at his forehead. "looks like an avalanche"

"I don't think that's an avalanche" Pierce's eyes scrunched up in attempts to see better.

"Look, there's even a little yellow ant trying to get away from it" he laughed but the humor did not reach the dormouse.

"But...ants aren't yellow" the supposed 'yellow ant' was hurtling towards the two in incredible speed, perhaps a heap of adrenaline. It spotted the two men and yelled at the top of it's lungs:

"RUN!"

"Aw, the little ant's telling us to run. Isn't that cute?"

"Um Ace, I don't think it's kidding" the dormouse's sharp animal eyes activated on instinct and made out most of the scene that opposed to the red knight's vision entirely. First off, it wasn't an avalanche. The right word to put it was a stampede of men, racing down the hill in an unmatched pace that they all appeared to flash white instead of their natural colors. They were after the helpless ant who...wasn't really an ant. From afar, it did look like a bronze dot however a closer look determined the small being (doll-sized actually) as-

"Alice!" Pierce exclaimed, forwarding himself to her aid.

"Oh, that's Alice?" Ace's eyes widened and he stalked after his comrade "did she turn into an ant?" it's not like the mouse man ignored Ace, he just wasn't listening. His mind cornered one thing and one thing only, the small foreigner and the angry mob following after her. Three steps towards her though and she screamed.

"Pierce, Ace, run! Go the other way!" she was apparently ignored and they continued to head for her.

"Hm, there's something different about you, I just can't put my finger on it" she didn't have time for deja vu moments like these. Time was precious, especially when your being chased by angry men with guns.

"Are you guy's deaf? Run the other way!" she gestured with her hands to turn around.

"I'm not afraid of those role holders" Pierce's hand travelled to his pocket, awaiting an opening to bring out his weapon.

"It's not them I'm talking about!"

"What do you-" she didn't have time to explain, luckily she didn't need to. The fastest role holder of them all was bound to come out anyway. The Cheshire cat bursted from the mad mess in a high pounce. Once his hands and feet touched the ground, he sprinted for Alice on all fours, his smirk glinting under the starry sky. Ok, maybe turning around wasn't such a bad idea.

Pierce stiffly reversed himself like a robot and squealed, running for his life (you know how Shaggy runs in Scooby-doo, right?). From there, Alice nabbed onto his long, out-stretched rat tail and was lifted from the air, escaping in a horizontal position.

"I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!" Pierce screamed in horror, little tears embedding his eyes. Boris was still at his tail literally, followed by a whole gang of obsessed role holders.

"Yikes!" Alice pulled her legs away as the cat stretched his neck out to bite her, 'harmlessly' of course.

"Well, isn't this the exercise?" Ace naturally chuckled, merely jogging beside the mouse's frantic dash for safety.

"Change of plans, I'm going back to Clover Country!" he cried out desperately, pushing away a thin branch from hitting his forehead.

"Huh? But what about your business with the Hatter?"

"The Hatter (gasp)...is busy shooting Gowland's head off (gasp!)...cancel business trip (GASP!)...going home" Pierce panted, barely even breathing.

"And what about Alice?" Ace peeked behind his shoulder to see the girl attempting to dodge Boris' feline attacks, still clasped around Pierce's tail.

"For all it's worth (Largest GASP!) she can come with me" the two runners plus hitch-hiker tumbled into the amusement park. A few feet away the other role holders rammed at eachother, pushing for the front line which was the closest they can get to their little 'doll'. Boris was weirdly out of sight but you can never think that as a stroke of luck. Nevertheless, Pierce didn't slow down, not a chance.

"Welcome to the amusement park, sir-"

ZOOM! he ran past a faceless worker; leaving her standing there, stunned. If Pierce had stopped to see what the commotion did her hair, he'd be brought to the hospital for laughing so hard.

"One ticket please" Ace loitered behind, chuckling at the attendant.

Alice's arms were still coiled around the tail when she saw _it_. A red wheel two times the size of the normal ferris wheel across the lot. There was only one cubicle attached to it, it remained downward for customers to get in. She guessed that once you got in, it'll spin you around again and again until it can finally push out your lunch. Gee, Gowland's creations never cease to amaze her. Pierce charged for the wheel, his feet going up the stairs leading to the cubicle two at a time and wrenching the car door open. He got in, locked it and buckled himself in with shaking hands.

"Um, Pierce?" the mouse curved his tail around his body as to be able to see her, face to face.

"Alice, quick, buckle up!" he yanked her from his tail, her tiny nails scratching the end of it unawarably.

"Ah, sorry"

"Its fine" she was propped onto the seat across from him and he stretched the seatbelt long enough to get her into place, clicking it close.

"He-hey! This isn't the time to be riding rides!" the orange-haired man looked her up and down with a concerned expression but it changed to fear as soon as he heard guns cry out nearby. They had to escape and fast.

"This isn't a 'fun' ride, it's a ride to get to another country"

"Oh, but-"

"Alice" he interrupted her with a raise of his gloved hand, which still shook in phobia. He insisted that she hear him out. "I'm going back to Clover Country and I was hoping you'd come with me" he eyed her reaction; mouth ajar, eyes widened to the impossible size of saucers and she was...not breathing.

He just asked her to go to Clover Country. With him. Not that it was a bad idea, it just seemed that the way he asked her was like something out of a fairytale book. Where the prince would stoop down in front of the princess and beg her to run away with him to another country. It certainly seemed unbelievable. Could you blame her for hesitating? Then on impulse, she starts laughing, holding her stomach that jumped continuously at each giggle mustered.

"That's great, Pierce" she wiped a tiny tear "now unbuckle me" she stretched her limbs wide to the side but since Pierce didn't respond, she began attacking the seat belt herself. A huge hand gently stopped her. She gazed upward and she saw Pierce's pleading face. His hand went to hold both of her tiny ones and she allowed them to linger there. She stared at him incredulously "you weren't joking?"

He shook his head "it's not safe here anymore, not for an outsider like you" his warm hand grasped stronger onto hers, so much that it hurt. "please, Alice. I don't want you to get hurt anymore" her ten fingers were entangled with his rather awkwardly, pondering on her several choices.

His words deemed true, it wasn't safe here. Then again, it wasn't safe anywhere in this annoying size. He has a role, a face; he wouldn't last long against the 'obsession' himself. On the other hand, she knew it in her heart that she could never leave Heart Country. It was...her home; with Julius and his clocks, Boris and his pranks (sometimes they're riddles), Ace and his extraordinary ability to get lost _all_ the time, not to mention the rest of the Wonderland gang. No matter how mad they are or were.

"I'm sorry, Pierce but I don't want to leave here" she swallowed, turning away as to not see his depressed face. It went down in disappointment.

"I-I see" he stuttered. She was about to go through her reasons when the cubicle shook.

An earthquake? No, someone jumped onto the car. Her head twisted around and she saw the boa. Pierce cried in fear and was now fumbling with his seat belt.

The cat grinned "too late, Pierce. You're dinner"

Alice could also be seen panicking but it wasn't to detach her safety strap. She surveyed the grounds for a controlling center. Her eyes stayed on a large metal contraption neighboring the ride. Ace was behind it, he happily gave her a thumbs up. Oh my gosh.

CLANG! Her sight switched back up in instinct and her panic increased, seeing Boris slamming onto the ride with a lead pipe. She turned to Pierce, who was curled up into a ball on the side of the cubicle despite being strapped onto the cart, muttering things like "I'm going to die, I'm going to die".

She looked over at Ace and hand signed him to press the 'on' button. He beamed and made a box with his hands and jabbed a thumb to his chest, he wanted something in return. Alice absentmindedly pressed onto her bosom, right over her heart.

The cart churned, startling both Boris and her, Pierce still in his own ball oblivious to the movement. The ride started, turning slowly around the wheel at first but then speedened each time it passed the top. Boris was growing desperate now as he clawed open the metal of their cubicle. Alice gave out a frightened gasp as he broke through. He smiled evilly and asked rhetorically "miss me?"

As if in timing, the ride spun faster than ever. The Cheshire cat dropped into their cart and hung onto the doll's seat belt since it was the only thing reachable at the moment. By accident, he pressed something and the strap gave in. You wouldn't happen to know how scary it was afterward.

The ride robotically let go of the wheel and was sent soaring into the sky. The three braced themselves, Boris grabbing onto Alice's foot protectively. The cubicle crash landed like a meteor to the earth, bounced up and then rolled in place. The countries weren't exactly _that_ far from each other. Pierce was first out, coughing to no limits. He was covered in black soot due to the burned-up cart.

"Looks like someone went on Gowland's ride again" he glanced up and found a tall, pale man holding up a mug of coffee.

"Oh, Gray!" Pierce rounded behind him. "thank goodness, there was this cat and t-the ride. It was scary"

"The scary part, I pretty much figured on my own" he sipped at the caffeine. Well, it wasn't precisely his. It was for master Nightmare. However, if his master had continued to be lazy with the paper work, _he'll _be needing the coffee more than his boss. He observed the smoking cart keenly, it was black with burnt marks and there was a hole drilled in the top. It fell on it's side so the hole was on the right, the exit wide open atop. A cat-eared man climbed out and the dormouse clung more to Gray.

"I am definitely _not_ going on this ride again" he was also black in soot as he attempted to wipe at his face full of it. "ugh, I'm complaining to the old man"

"Ah, Boris Airay" Gray approached the cat, Pierce wiggling reluctantly after him. "what brings you here to Clover Country?"

Boris' bright yellow orbs blinked "I...I don't exactly know"

"Oh really?"

"I was in the forest with the twins earlier...I think. Then all of a sudden, I'm falling from the sky" he scratched his cheek, a habit of his.

"No! That cat's a liar, he tried to eat me!"

"Oh, Pierce. How nice to see you" Boris grinned Cheshire-like and the mouse retreated.

"How's about we have dinner?" the cat asked in feigned politeness, rubbing his hands together at the thought.

"Er...I don't-, Alice! Help me!"

"Oh, was Alice in here?" her name did wonders, indeed. Boris began rummaging through the cart, grunting and calling out the girl's name.

"You brought Alice here?" Gray peeked inside. Boris' head shot up suddenly and knocked the ex-assassin hard on the chin.

"Ow, what the heck are you doing behind me?" the cat scowled, touching his pained skull.

Gray did his chin "I was going to help you get Alice"

Boris sighed and double-checked the cart with a dead glance behind his shoulder "well too bad. She's not in there"

"WHAT?" Pierce dodged around Gray and played with the insides of the empty cart, searching for Alice frantically "wh-where is she?"

"Dunno" Boris fingered a tiny black shoe, he's been holding onto ever since.

"Hey, does Alice keep dolls?" Pierce whirled around, drawing in a breath at the sight.

"That's her shoe" the two men stared at him like he was a madman.

"_her_ shoe?" Boris repeated slowly.

"Yeah, don't you remember? She became like- _this_ small" he motions with his hands.

"Isn't that...kind of impossible?" Gray inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"It is, I don't know how but she became small, then there was this crazy chase, Boris tried to get at me, he made that hole in the cart with a pipe or something" he pointed at the hole and shook his head as he retold the story with much difficulty. Gray and Boris exchanged looks, the ex-assassin's facial complexion revealing his contempt concern whilst the cat's, his absolute boredom.

"And then I couldn't see the rest because I huddled up on the side of the cart" he flushed at the last part but finally he got everything off his chest. He gazed at the men expectantly who both got opposite looks on their face.

"Riiiiiiiiiiiight" Boris said, checking the black stuff chucked into his nails. "can I have my dinner now?" Pierce's mouth dropped to the ground comically.

"Did you even listen to me?"

"Oh, we did, we did" Gray assured him the best he could, his nanny-like nature appealing to the mouse. "but because of that, I'm going to go take you to Nightmare-sama for a...check-up"

"what? Hey-" his arm was grabbed by the uniquely pink-haired teen.

"Yeah, I agree with Gray here. I don't like my meals crazy" mentioned role holder joined him on the other side, grasping Pierce's other arm.

"Your not _really_ going to eat him, right?" Boris answered with a mischievous fanged-smile as they carried off the poor, 'crazy' mouse.

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

Alice awoke with her cheek squished onto something wooden. She sat herself upright, a light bulb two-times her size, hung by a thread above her and she realized she was on a table, similar to those tables police use to interrogate their suspects. Wherever she was though, it was dark. Really dark. That light bulb above being the _only_ source of light. With it, she could vaguely make out the man sitting before her, watching her every move. He wore ruby-colored attire, that much she could figure. His fingers were interwined in such a way that they spread out at the top and he appeared to grin

"It's been a while, Alice" he said her name in an alluring tone that the girl couldn't help the shrudder that ran up her spinal cord.

"Who are you?"

"Oh but don't you remember me?" she had to admit the voice's familiarity but she's met so many people, you think you'd remember _everyone's_ voices.

"Damn you, and the hell we had to go through just to fuc*ing save you" her eyes lit up in recognition, there's only one person who curses like that. At least, his counterpart.

"Is that you, Joker?" she asked uneasily. The latter clapped his hands, it echoed in the darkness surrounding them.

"Very good, Alice"

"About time you fuc*ing figured it out" the mask on his belt went on distastefully. Joker carried his chair closer to her, so the light may suffice to see the patch that covered his eyes and that modest smile he usually kept on. "how are you?" was his first question, she was beginning to imagine this as an interrogation. Nevertheless, she answered with caution.

"well, considering the fact I'm the size of a gerbil, I'm perfectly fine" ok, maybe _not_ with extreme caution.

He chuckled musically "your humor has improved since I last saw you"

"Really? Didn't realize" she's really got to find a way to hold her tongue. Luckily, neither of the Jokers seemed to notice her sarcastic responses.

Black Joker was impatient though "well, get on with it, you idiot"

"Get on with what?"

"An explanation, stupid. You think we just fuc*ing saved you from a fuc*ing flaming cart just to have you idiotically sit there doing fuc*ing nothing? fuc* no!"

"Alright, alright, already" Alice was gradually sprouting a migraine at all the cursings.

White Joker laughed "forgive him, he's not very good with guests"

"Says the one with the fuc*ing whip" our heroine side-glanced to see the sharp wip curled around the man's belt, ready if necessary. Joker followed the direction of her eyes and scoffed

"Don't worry, I won't hit you. Even if I will, it's so sharp you won't feel a thing" he smiled. A conclusion hovered Alice's mind that those smiles weren't real, per se. "I'm curious myself, why _are_ you small?" he leaned back on his chair to get into a comfortable position, his eyes never left her.

"I drank something at the Hatter's mansion, Black tea, I think" at this, Black Joker hummed in approval, adoring the name of the cursed drink.

"So how did you end up flying in the air?" White inquired casually.

"I was...being chased and Pierce let me ride something that'll transport people to other countries"

"By what?"

"By cart" Alice replied bluntly.

"No, no, you were being _chased _by what?"

She grimaced, a sour memory flashing through her mind "role holders"

Black Joker cackled loudly, the noise bounced off the walls (if there were any) around them "that girl is fuc*ing screwed up"

"I-I'm not! They weren't chasing me because of that!"

"you son of a bitc*, that fuc*ing blush on your face proves it. Holy cra*, I'd never believe you would fuc* anyone up in the first place!"

"Black, would you kindly shut up?" White's calm voice intervened them, although there was a hint of amusement in his voice. Alice patted her hot cheeks, unaware of the color they exploded with. She wasn't lying, they weren't after her for malicious reasons. Were they? She smacked her head as the question suggested itself.

"I apologize for him" White cleared his throat

She huffed "It's alright, I know well that Black's a pervert"

"Hey!" her smile was smug as she got the brimming satisfaction of pride. "says the girl who's been fuc*ing all those stupid role holders" she scowled at the mask; crawling over to the edge of the table to stick her tongue out at the mannequin face. Imagine her surprise when she saw a pink stick of wood come out from the moon-shaped smile carved onto its face. They had a little competition there while White just laughed here and there. The pressure of her flat stomach flipping over as she was poised to crawl resulted to that one noise.

GRUMBLE!

"Hungry, are we?" she flushed, getting up quickly and brushing wooden specs off her dress.

"N-Not really" she averted her gaze ashamingly. White laughed.

"Not to worry" he clapped his hands. "we just got some new imported delights" from behind the shadows, a shackled faceless limped over to the table, carrying a glass container of amazingly good-looking chocolates, Hershey Kisses shaped. The prisoner plopped it onto the table. White turned to him.

"You better put that down gentlier next time" he snarled, the person stiffened and scurried away like a rat does when he sees the hungry cat. "eat up" Alice's minds whirled with possibilities: poison, dirt, bugs. She didn't care, she was far too hungry to. Her last meal had been afternoon that day and now, it was probably near midnight. She snatched as many treats as she could, they were each as big as her head. She chomped on one of them, her mouth being divinely treated to the sweet yet simple piece of temptation. She was evidently getting used to sweets being her main meals.

White laughed at the scene whilst Black grunted. Alice was on her fifth, she was about to take a bite when she noticed Joker eying her as she ate dinner. It was odd, how her host kept surveillance over his guest. It was as if he could see right through her, like she had been so easily exposed to him. Not in the malicious way though, that was Black's job.

"Want some?" she smiled, carrying up her fifth unbitten piece to the man.

"It's alright" he reached out his thumb towards her and brushed away a smudge of chocolate on her cheek. "I like strawberries better" he licked the chocolate off his stained finger. She touched the clean cheek, now raging with hot fuchsia.

"Hey, White. Quit being a fuc*ing perv'" to her surprise, it had been Black Joker that had protested against the motion.

"Oh, do I detect a hint of jealousy here?" White smiled and pressed his thumb to his lips, his guest reacting with an even deeper blush.

"Hell no! I wouldn't give a damn if the bitc* went and fuc*ed every damn man in Wonderland"

White chuckled "well, that's over exaggerating things"

"Oh shut your mouth!"

"It wouldn't be fair if yours isn't shut as well, right?" the previously flustered girl watched the two bicker like a TV drama going on, nibbling onto her fifth chocolate. Honestly, she felt out-of-place between the two since she wasn't accommodating to them. On the other hand, there was another thing to think of. She peeked at the brown moist chocolate in her hands, licking her lips neurotically.

White noticed this and leaned forward "what are you thinking of, Alice?"

Her head snapped up in attention. "Hansel and Gretel, ever heard the story?"

"the one where two children wander in the woods and were tempted inside a house because of sweets?"

She nodded and continued "and it turns out, that the kind, old woman was trying to eat them"

Joker caught up and laughed again, it sounded faker each time he did though. "rest assured, I am not some old hag trying to gobble you down"

"Yeah, he's much worse then that"

"Oh, that's cruel, Black" he pretended to look hurt however our heroine was smart to look underneath the underneath. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously but the two men thought nothing of it.

White suddenly leaned towards her "do you want to see our treasure?"

"Uh, treasure?" she repeated, in case she heard wrong.

"Not the stupid golden kind your probably thinking of, idiot" well, at least the bad words lessened. She still didn't like how he referred to her as 'idiot' though.

"So what kind of treasure is it?" she turned to White.

"Allow me to show you" his palms clapped together again and another faceless prisoner dragged his metal-clasped feet in an attempt to near the table. His arms coiled around a box, tied creatively with a red ribbon. He laid it slowly onto the table and slumped away.

Joker gently tugged at the ribbon "would you like to see it?" Alice bobbed her head enthusiastically, curiosity getting the best of her. The man pulled off the scarlet string and opened the lid of the box, gesturing for her to take a peek inside. She did. Instead of the Captain Hook gold she thought of (yes, Black was correct in his theory), her eyes narrowed at the peculiar item being officially labelled 'treasure'.

"A...cake?" she stared at Joker as if he had gone crazy. Not just any cake, a dark chocolate flavored one and had been utterly destroyed of it's original quality, half-eaten by someone already. That old cake couldn't possibly be something special, let alone edible in it's current ugly condition. She grimaced and peered up at her host "um...I think that man brought in the wrong box"

"He didn't. This is it" he motioned joyfully towards the wrapped box and she allowed her mouth to drop.

"This..._can't _be it" she said with a look on her face saying 'yeah, right!'.

"Oh but it is" Joker grinned and under what light they had, it appeared to be of the evil villain kind. Alice scoffed at the idea, assuring herself that she was just being paranoid. "You see, this cake can make people grow or so they say" Joker put a hand to his chin and secretly watched his guest's reaction from behind it.

Three.

Two.

One.

She fainted, as expected.

"Oi, get up you damn female!" Black was apparently running low on insults. White laughed for real this time, the scenario was just priceless.

"Allow me" he snapped his fingers and another chained prisoner brought in a cup of ice cold water. He instantly grabbed it from the servant and downed it on the girl. She screamed, startled and without a doubt, angered.

"W-hat- th-e h-e-ll?" the foreigner chattered as the liquid dripped down her hair.

"Well, it's rude to sleep when the host is talking, right?"

"S-st-still!" she swallowed, the freezing substance slipping into her open pores. Normally water wouldn't affect her in such a way however since she was Barbie-sized, it was as if she had taken a bath. An ice-cold, freezing bath.

"Not my fault, you overreacted because of our treasure" she took notice of the cake once again and her mouth instinctively watered. She was craving for it, the antidote; right within her reach, five meters from her. Suddenly her being drenched from head to toe didn't seem such a bother anymore.

"Can I- taste it?" her teeth clashed against each other and she gripped her shivering shoulders yet her eyes were trained at the amused man for an answer.

"Of course not" said Joker, crossing his arms as that stupid everlasting smile cradled on his pale complexion. "this little pastry is our treasure" he carefully skimmed his bare finger across the sweet icing of the cake, wiping it off from his finger with his thumb with two swift rubs.

"But I need it!" cried Alice, her forced voice breaking through her frozen teeth. He suppressed a laugh and she vaguely saw his finger habitually tap his forearm multiple times.

"Do you –really- think I care?" she didn't reply. Something aroused her fear of this man; a fear she buried away with the sensible thought that he was civil and kind. Thus, Alice felt like a fool and this was opposed to the person before her dressed like one (well, modern-type though)

"Joker-" she steadied her trembling voice but the knowledge of her phobia didn't go past the Joker. He was far too mischievous to be unintelligent.

He smirked "tell you what, let's play some card games" she flinched at this, unsure of what to say.

"You win at least _two_ games, you get what you want. I win in at least two, _I_ get what I want" her eyes narrowed at the not-to-sudden proposition as it was mentally scanned for tricks. And then, she found something.

"You planned this all along, didn't you?"

"Ding ding, the bitc* got it!" Joker's counterpart piped up. However, the girl paid him no heed.

"What _exactly _do you want, Joker?" he grinned maliciously

"You'll find out soon enough" he untangled his intertwined limbs and his hand momentarily disappeared under the table. After ten agonizingly long seconds of rustling through –whatever was down there-, he brought up a neatly piled deck of cards. White fingered the first two cards on top before setting them down of the table face-down.

"Do you know what these two are?"

She gulped "the Jokers?" a hysterical look appeared on his one-eyed face and he released a low chuckle.

"Very good" he flipped over one of the cards to display a miniature portrait of himself, in his usual costume with the same frightening smirk. He restricted his thumb at the head of the card for his one-(wo)man audience to see.

"Quit stalling, White and let's get on with it" a buff, shadowed figure sauntered over to them and took a seat beside the monotonic Joker, swinging his leg to cross the other.

"The charmer as always, Black"

"Whatever" the man then felt this strange aura directed at him and he turned to glare at the doll who was gaping at him, totally perplexed.

"What the fuc* are you staring at?"

The dumbstruck foreigner open and closed her mouth in a confused frenzy "weren't you-...how did you-...aren't you-...?"

He rolled his one visible eye "Shut. Up." That stopped her. "Now, if you be a nice, little doll, then you won't fall prey to this lovely whip of ours, 'k?"

She blinked in surprise "did you just say a clean sentence?"

"Oh, just shut the fuc* off!"

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The first game was Slapjack. [For those who have yet to hear of it, it's merely a game where you put down any of your cards at the center over and over while saying the order (ace, two, three, etc.) and then slap a hand at the top if a Jack was put down or if the card put down was the one in order. The last hand to slam down, immediately takes the stash of cards at center.]

After a few rounds, the outcome had become obvious. Alice's small hand against two of the Joker's larger ones was bound to produce a predictable ending. And Alice knew this, even before the game was about to start. Despite her reasonable protests, White insisted (cough...threatened...cough...) that they play his favorite game.

The cards were about an arm's length-sized (hers at least) and the only way she could use her set properly was to place all of her cards face-down before her and whenever necessary, lift the side slightly to see what card it was. It was an unlucky gamble. Of course, there was also the regulation that required you to slap the Jack card. Whenever she had to do this, she would have to race across the table to do a slap. By then though, the Jokers would have already slammed their hands at the top before she could get in finger's reach. Thus, Alice lost in game no.1.

The second in lining was 'Bluff', otherwise known to Black Joker as 'Bullshit'. [The rules are to put down your cards in order (ace, two, three, etc.), one by one by clockwise or counter-clockwise position around the table, all face-down. The catch is: you couldn't possibly have _all _the cards you were requested to give so your only choice is to bluff or lie. If a person yelled the word 'Bluff' at you then he/she knows you're lying and your consequence is to keep the whole pile of cards in the middle.]

Our blonde foreigner had to admit this game wasn't so bad, she was lucky she had all the cards she needed. She would've _actually_ enjoyed this game, if it hadn't been for Black's endless yells of cuss. He'd yell 'Bullshit' at everyone's card and since White always bluffed _his _cards, he had unfortunately gotten most of the pile. The darker Joker would just go on and on "bullshit!" "bullshit!" "bullshit!"

"Bullshit!" Alice's eyes widened

"But this is _really_ an 'eight'" she flashed him her card, desperate because it was her _last_ card left.

"I was telling the truth, not bluffing!"

"Damn woman, I know. I just wanted to say 'bullshit!'" he sneered at her like it was her fault for being too truthful a person.

"Nevertheless" White began, collecting his many cards and patting the stack atop to straighten the edges. "Alice wins this game" the doll released a light breath as relief showered her with a moment of relaxation. It was - but a moment though.

She threw her last card at Joker, who niftily caught it, inserted it into the deck of rectangular poker cards and shuffled the whole thing effortlessly. Black gave his set back as well. The environment bounced the sound of the shuffles in mild echoes amidst the silence of the three players.

Black broke the quiet with a well-exclaimed question: "what the fuc*? She actually won?" realization dawning him much later than expected.

"Yes, well, thank you for stating the obvious, Black" answered White in monotone, still leafing through the cards.

"But- that's _your_ damn game, your mother fuc*ing game! Your supposed to fuc*ing win!" Alice has never seen Black so devastated; then again, she's never seen much of him other than the poker-face be ridden mask of his. Contrariwise, White was acting pretty weird too. After the news that Alice had beaten him by 'not lying' in 'Bluff', he's been dead serious. Without his general grin to mock the hell out of her and that was a very dangerous sign in itself.

"Alright" he jabbed the bottom of his stack of cards at the brass table constantly "so that's Alice, one and Jokers, one. It would seem we're tied" he had ignored Black's critical remark but his twin didn't seem to notice.

"Fuc*!" he cursed, glaring at the triumphant doll. "We won't go damn easy on the bitc* then"

She sighed "didn't think you would" White's hand stopped shuffling and was now picking out three cards at the top, laying them in front of her.

"Have you ever heard of the game 'Killer'?" of all the other games Alice has played with the Joker, this was the first game she was unfamiliar with. She shook her head.

"It's where you get one of these three cards, King, Ace and Two" he flipped over each card as he said their names. "The King is the killer, the Ace is the policeman and the Two is just a regular villager. The killer can kill the villager -by winking at the player-, the policeman can catch the killer -by merely flashing his/her card at the player- and the villager just stays quiet" Alice bobbed her head in understanding. White went on "the catch is: you can't know which player is which so it's a complete gamble. Also there is normally a Queen card to heal whoever died but since we're only three people, we'll have to make a slight change of rules" she assimilated this last part and an alarming thought struck her.

"So if I get the 'Two' card, I lose already?" she could have sworn she saw White try to hold back a chuckle.

"Well, _if_ the policeman catches the killer before he kills you then no, we'll consider it _your _win"

"But that's- not fair, your both on the same side"

Black's head snapped up "so what? Just fuc*ing play the game!"

"But I'd lose anyway, so what's the point?" Alice was now on her two feet, holding her ground in spite of her objections to the cheated card game. She crossed her arms sternly and was confident to remain this way until she got her way. That same confidence faltered slightly as she saw White's pissed-off look. He smashed a hand onto the table where the three cards were, caught them and elevated them.

"Alright then" he smiled but it looked like the polite action was scarring him to death. "we'll both make a promise to play fairly and _not_ be on the same side. We will catch each other if ever one of us becomes the policeman and attempt to kill each other if one of us ends up as the killer, only on the assumption that Black is not the killer or policeman. In short, we _won't_ back each other up" he glanced up at the cross Alice who didn't look entirely convinced with White's declaration.

"Fair enough?"

"Maybe" she found herself mutter, unsure of what else to say herself. "maybe, if Black agrees"

"He would" White sunk down to his seat, hand rubbing his forehead. This was totally pissing him off. "right, Black?" he rolled his head to the side to get a better view of his twin. Mentioned Joker had his head currently cocked backward, his neck craned to an upside down ninety degrees angle and a soft snore escaped his nasal cavity.

"Black!" White nudged him and he woke with a start.

"Fuc* no!" he cried instantaneously but from a look from the red man beside him, he quickly backfired "fine...er, whatever the fuc* he said"

"Excellent, one game then. Am I right, Alice?" she swallowed uncomfortably but responded by crossing her legs and sitting down without a word said in her part.

She stared as White reshuffled the three cards without giving it a second glance.

She stared as he distributed them silently and picked up his own card.

She stared as he grinned a toothy, satisfied smile that sent chills down her spine.

She watched the two Jokers, their single eyes looming over her and at each other. Alice had absently forgotten her own card's existence as White's pupil caught hers. She could see the evil intent in them and the glee dancing in his dark irises, he must have a really good card. Judging from the hunger in them, it must also be a dangerous one. She suspiciously peered at Black who also appeared to have this scary look in his eyes and a desiring negative emotion circling them. Almost as if, he got a good card too.

A horrible theory hit her and she was about to take a look at her card when she spotted White flicker with movement. She glanced at him hesitantly, in time to see him wink at her. The killing signal. His eye opened from the one-eyed blink and the air was sucked out of her lungs. There was a familiar shade of crimson painted on his irises, shocking her.

"I apologize, my dear Alice but _you_ lose"

**AN: Longest chapter ever! (well, in THIS story, yeah!) ;) I'm not done, I think. ROFL. Hey, I'm curious, did you skip to the bottom? Gosh, sorry for dragging the story, I just thought that Alice HAS to eat somehow, I don't want her to starve here :. Where she excretes all of that though is beyond me. :}. **

**Thanks RoseQueen2424, Pasty face, Space Whales, nuel-chan and juliet763 for reviewing! Oh and for nuel-chan, the explanation for that is in chapter 4 in my Author's Notes.  
**

**Thanks for reading; I'll consider it a personal Christmas gift for those who did :) . Pweety Pwease review with a cherry on top? ^.^  
**

**B Happy Holidays everyone! ****B****  
**


	8. A Corset is Like a Codfish

**AN: Wow, I haven't updated in a while (looks at calendar), practically two months T_T. Well then, I hope this chapter will make up for it :] .**

**The title isn't really an impossible thing however the other impossible thing that I was supposed to use as an impossible thing can not exactly fit this chapter. The titles ****DO**** fit the chaps, one way or another. An impossible thing, indeed! :D**

**Alright: Lights, camera, action!**

_**Chapter 8: A Corset is Like a Codfish**_

Her jaw hung and her dry, pink tongue still affected by the sweet supper felt a little swollen, not being touched by any other reachable liquid but running saliva. Full sentences clearing perfectly for her and dawning her with terrible consequences. The Joker had won and is hopelessly under the contagious obsession. This thus makes Alice, a goner.

Her chances of surviving this one: negative (unless she finds an alternative).

There was an evitable difference between the Joker's eye in comparison to all other role holders she had encountered and later, got obsessed and red-eyed. His was purely blood-shot where the white in his eye should be, his iris holding a lighter color in comparison. Almost like, he hasn't slept for weeks. However, the cruelty shining in that one viewable eyeball of his announced to the female guest that he was the least bit tired, more like ready to pounce on her.

Her horror-lit orbs glanced at Black, his deep-set, plain eye staring back at her. Fortunately, it wasn't any where near red which was pretty relieving to her. Guess the obsession wouldn't apply to him since he didn't stay that long with her, maybe masked men had exceptions against the side-effect.

He sighed, as if sadly and silently gestured to her face-down card she had completely forgotten about it. White's loud pants could be heard from the end of the table, restlessly waiting for her to give a response and he sadistically had favouritism for some screaming. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, flipping the thin paper over with two hands. White jerked with a painful gasp while Black looked away since it was perfectly obvious to him. The foreigner gazed at her card.

"I'm sorry to say, White" Alice's abdomen compressed with tiny laughter "but 'you're under arrest'" She clutched with hidden relief at her Ace card, aka the police card.

White gritted his teeth and snarled, something you don't normally see the 'polite' one do. "Black" the furious Joker turned to the man sitting beside him "why didn't you-"

"Hey, the damn rule was: not to fuc*ing back each other up. I had this stupid feeling the bitc* had the Ace card so I just 'pretended' I was the fuc*ing police, all smug like an idiot" he smirked to himself. The opposite ring master was baffled entirely and he drew back in shock.

The outsider raised a fair eyebrow at White "by your face, I can tell you didn't plan for Black to obey the so-called 'rule', didn't you?"

"He would never-... he'd always-" then all of a sudden, he chuckled. It wasn't his usual controlled one, more of a cackle that he didn't mind to release. His voice rumbled in the darkness, thus Alice felt slightly uneasy with it once the wind pulled it to her direction. White stroked a tear from beneath his eye "you actually would go against me for this girl, Black? A foreigner, no less"

To her surprise, Black's cheeks flared to a beating-red color. "shut the fuc* up, White. This damn woman is different" it took a stretch of seconds until Alice realized that he had complimented her, despite the minor curse on one portion of the sentence. Her cheeks itched with a color resembling Black's and she bit at her bottom lip to stop it.

"Woman? Not 'bitc*'? Well, that's something to laugh about"

"White, I didnt-... hey, what the hell happened to your eye?"

"Hm, I don't appreciate you changing the subject"

"No, I'm fuc*ing serious. Why is your eye bleeding?" Black cringed, consciously reaching for his own identical orb like the effects were mirrored.

His twin didn't seem notice the side-effect at all as he calmly looked at the girl sitting on the table, her fingers brushing her lucky card both in silent gratitude and to ease down her nervousness. Alice peeked at the angry man at Black's mention of the word 'bleeding' and she couldn't believe it herself but as a drop of nearly black liquid slid down his cheek, she knew well that Black was telling the truth.

She knew his wasn't a _normal _'obsession' compared to the others but this was just ridiculous.

"I don't feel anything" White touched his cheek, stained with the painful color and brought it before him. Nothing. The dark hue didn't do so much as leave a microscopic dot on his clean gloves. Not only did it scare the hell out of Alice but Black as well, who knew nothing of what was going on.

"I swear. Your eye is fuc*ing bleeding"

The circus master waved him off "Oh, your delusional. It's not like I care if my eye is filled with blood or not" the scarlet circle continued to stare at the foreigner with this sort of emotion Alice couldn't find a name for. He went on after a pause "I'll just take the girl anyway"

The miniature doll gasped as White's left hand stretched out to nab her. She squirmed backwards and cried out shrilly "wait! Wait!" this caused him to halt, temporarily. The palm was nearly five inches from her face and the ring leader could feel her tremendous intakes of breath at the base of it, could feel the fear pulsing through each brush of air.

"J-Just what do you mean by...take me? I won, didn't I? Your not supposed to get something you...want" this sounded like a question to her since she couldn't imagine Joker actually _wanting_ to keep her. It must be the obsession deciding that, her mind granted, there was no way reality alone could mix her into this mess.

She could faintly see him shake with silent laughter. His wide palm clutched before her abruptly and he pulled it back but Alice knew that he had only spared her an explanation. She had only a few minutes to think up something or she will be at the mercy of this man. This currently insane man.

"Foolish, naive, little Alice, I am normally a man of word when it comes to deals like these but right now, I don't exactly..._feel_ generous. In fact, I feel selfish, drawn, allured..." he stared down at her like a vulture would a rat dying on a desert. She had to fold her arms in front of her to keep her from averting her gaze, choosing to stand her ground and face him rather than to coware away like the child she was. Her hands felt cold in contrast to her warm biceps.

"I can explain that"

He cocked his head to the side uncaringly "really?"

"What the hell are you two fuc*ing talking about?"

"Hush, Black, I wish to hear my beloved doll speak" White said, not taking his blood-red eyes off the girl.

"Beloved... doll?" a confused Black muttered to himself in disbelief, shaking his head in a whirlwind of thoughts that suggest either his twin had gone crazy or the blood on his eye had slipped into his brain. The only female in the room had to bite her numb lip even harder to keep herself from shuddering. Factors of that: fear and the surprisingly cold wind that blew into the room all of a sudden. She practically forgot she was half-wet.

"Your obsessed, a role holder that stays long with me will get obsessed and would never want me to leave. But it's all just a side-effect of me being small" she said quickly, eying the black background for an exit cautiously. Wind had to come from somewhere, right?

"And so?"

"So..." she racked her brain for something the Joker would -actually- care about. "So..." she repeated, her mind coming into an eternal blank at the worst moment possible.

"I don't quite understand what you mean, _Alice_" he said her name like he was testing if she was tasty or not "the word 'obsessed' doesn't really explain the situation here"

She was afraid to find out but: "you have another word in mind, don't you?" he didn't move, just lifted his chin slightly to darken the bloody eye, making it appear to glow within the black shadow. The blood did glow at least, neon red. He constantly inhaled and she wondered if the blood being lost needed that much oxygen or he was just anticipating the moment of her capture. The next set of events told her it was the latter.

"Hungry" he said briefly, not implementing any fancy words after or before it. It was simple yet it constructed madness. There was a tilt of her flooring, a noisy smash of glass, unbearable darkness and a large hand violently clasping itself around her waist so fast, it took her a minute to gasp and realize she was in trouble.

She could hear herself scream and someone hum at her, entertained with the sound. Weird thing was, the 'hmm' response came from far away, a completely distanced place from where she was. Her long hair was blown backward into a lopsided pile, the person holding her must be running; but from what?

"Interesting" the intonation of several pieces of glass crashing onto the floor made her heart race. Then a faint DROP! that echoed throughout the wide room made the organ stop all together, not permanently though. Blood. The sound of blood that Ace demonstrated for her back at the forest; it made her sick. "You snapped the cable of the light bulb and made me catch it instead of Alice" the person chuckled "fantastic, Black. It'll be a thrill to whip you both" two SNAPs resounded the area and Alice knew that White was testing his favorite weapon.

She switched her gaze to the towering man and although there wasn't any light at all to pinpoint it, his face was utterly pale. "thank you, Black" she heaved gratefully. He would actually stand up to White for a mere girl like her, something unthinkable. He glanced down at her, still racing towards the end of this black place

"Screw that I did this. White... that's not White" he whispered, looking over his shoulder as the leather-to-floor slaps came louder; thus, closer.

"I know" Alice murmured

"Mind telling me what the fuc* is going on?"

"There's no need to. If I get far away from him, he'll go back to normal" she could feel his honest hesitation, his pace slowing down just a bit. His gloved hands were growing warm in sweat, coating her hips in a nice layer of it. Was he scared?

"Are you damn sure?" he checked, his voice holding equal reluctance. She jerked a nod, enough for the ring leader to see it. She sucked in air sharply as Black brought her upward and plopped her into his hat, his crown glory in the circus world. "You better be, damn it all" his pace gradually returned and he went on "how far do you need?"

"I don't know. At this rate though, maybe out of the country"

The Joker scoffed "too fuc*ing easy" he snapped his free fingers and a luminous door rose before them in a bouncy manner. It was blindingly bright on its sides that Alice was horrified at the thought of it signalling their pursuer. "He can't see it, you idiot" as if he had read her mind, Black scowled "it's full of some cra*py enchantments or something, he'll see this shi* once he gets close enough though."

He patted his pockets, stuffed his hand inside one of them and a ring of keys were yanked out, accompanied with a noisy jingle. He used his index finger to flip through each metal piece hastily and went on "This damn place is a full-proof shi*ty interrogation room so hell yeah, there's no exit or entrance unless me and White do that fuc*ing mumbo jumbo thing together but since White has become a fuc*ing psycho" he picked out the rustiest and jabbed it inside the keyhole. "we'll have to fuc*ing go for the second best damn option"

He juggled the knob in experiment and after a few more tries; it turned the whole way. Satisfied, the ringmaster pocketed the rest of the keys. The conjured-up door gave in with a creak at its unoiled hinges and Black trotted into- a bathroom? A pretty non-majestic sized one at that, decorated with a porcelain, cracked-up sink against the right side, a bathtub with a rubber ducky in the middle and a toilet, gray from age sitting beside the sink; the walls being a plain green, chipped off at some parts of it's paint.

Alice grimaced at the smell "who does the cleaning here?"

"Fuc* you! I was the last to clean it. Keep it in your head that scrubbing a fuc*ing toilet is hell!" he stiffened as the slap of the all-too familiar whip reached his ears, White was near.

"Oh, you opened up a bathroom? What's wrong, Black? You want to take a cra*, you son of a-" the rest was drowned out as Black slammed the door behind him, locking it with a push of a bronze button. He laid his hat down beside the sink so the doll can conveniently hop out and onto the crummy, old sink.

"How am I going to get out?" Alice panicked, searching the comfort room for a window, a door, anything helpful. Sadly, nothing came to light.

"Ah, shi*. I thought the hole in this stupid sink was bigger" Black fingered the hole leading to the drainpipe, pulling out his now mossy pointer finger "looks like you'll have to do the fuc*ing toilet"

The foreigner's eyes widened "you're kidding, right?"

"Would I be kidding if my insane bitc* of a twin was going to fuc*ing whip my as* off? I'm damn serious, idiot. The drain leads the cra* out of this stupid country" the door knob shook frantically behind him, declaring White's arrival. Since it was locked though, the knob refused entrance to the second party and it soon abrupt churning. Silence ensued in the bathroom as a pause delayed all movement.

"Did he give u-?" Alice was interrupted by the door rumbling, a tiny crack instantly tracing onto the wood of it.

"Get your as* into the toilet now!" she looked at the far-from-welcoming item, the curious smell coming from the interior of it. Her eyes closed and she thought of this sensibly, a dirty, rotting, old toilet seemed less dangerous than White Joker attacking and playing with her endlessly for an eternity she couldn't count years for, right? She glanced at the bowl once more. She must be insane.

She sighed and took a diving position when- "the cake! I forgot the cake! I can't grow back to normal without it!" her companion rubbed his sweating forehead in irritation and used his free hand to rustle through the inside of his jacket.

"Damn it" he cursed, wrenching out a crumpled piece of pastry, crumbs fluttering to the tiled floor. The entrance boomed again and this time, the crack improved, almost reaching to the bottom of the door. "here, I was suppose to eat this shi* in the middle of Killer while White and you were doing that stupid stare down" he handed it to her shivering hands, shaking in anxiety. She tucked it away, locating a pocket in her dress that she hadn't noticed before.

The feminine foreigner stole one last glance at Black, impatiently awaiting for her to jump. Her expression softened "thanks, Black. Thanks alot"

He shrugged and circled around the toilet until his palm rested on the silver contraption on its side "I'll flush the cra*"

BOOM! Bits of rubble and clouds of smoke pooled into the CR and White casually trudged in, just as Alice made a move to jump. Black desperately forced a flush that sent numerous swirls that engulfed the girl in her escape. Warm bubbles churned her around and around as more water spilled into the bowl in an agonizingly slow motion.

She was reminded of her narrow escape from Ace (when he was obsessed); how she couldn't swim in the pond and that her limbs did nothing to help her fight the current. This was ten-times worse. The current came from all sides. Plus every time she tried for oxygen, more water kept spilling in. An eternal waterfall slamming onto her head, pushing her down in a deadly match. Her lungs burned for the necessary gas yet all that she breathed was water.

She instantly sensed a dark figure looming over the toilet, watching as the mini whirlpool sunk her lower and lower (and much too slow for his taste). Its hand plunged into the bowl roughly and its fingers entangled with her long blonde locks as it yanked her. She cringed haplessly, tasting the salty substance that was _in_ the toilet, now bathing her clothes and bare skin. The man shook her, the unwanted liquid sliding in her throat painfully pouring out of her mouth like fresh vomit. She couldn't tell if she was relieved for being saved from drowning or terrified that something worse was to come. Alice glanced to the side and although her sight was blurry, she could vaguely make out Black flinching as her savior-captor's whip was pointed warningly at his neck.

"You're the _last_ person I'd thought to betray me, how ironic" White said, ignoring the cries of pain emitted by Alice who was struggling to free her hair from the ringmaster despite her restless condition.

"I didn't betray you, idiot"

The mad man laughed under his breath "funny how you still humour me even if your death is approaching"

"Shi* it, the White I know would never kill me. Fuc* whatever is possessing him" a little light of recognition briskly passed across his one bleeding eye, almost like the _real_ White had heard him talking. However, it vanished just as quick and Black pondered if it was just a trick of the light.

White Joker frowned "those other words weren't really funny, such a pity since they're your last words"

"They sure damn aren't"

"Oh! Cocky little thing, aren't you? Well, better to dispose of you before I can play with my other little prey" he raised his arm to strike, swinging the end of his sharp whip to the opposite side. Black didn't move a muscle and that just irritated him. He clutched his whip harder, so much that the veins on his wrist showed and he brought down his-

GLOMP!

"YEEOOOOOOW!"

"don' forgedh, I'm stil' hearh!'" muttered little Alice, her tiny mouth nibbling onto White's wrist. As she said this though, her mouth released saliva onto the bitten skin. White wagged his wounded arm both in pain and in disgust, heavily swinging the doll that was clasped tooth-wise onto it.

"You bitc*! Get off me!"

"Ngo whay!" she bit harder, receiving a yell on the other end.

If you have ever been bitten by an ant or a hamster even, you'd know that their bites can be either _really _painful or really ticklish. In this case, it was without a doubt, the first option. Alice's bite was composed of natural human teeth, shrunken to that of a hamster's and making the effect even more horrible than it needs to be.

White's hand released her hair, leaving her only line of safety: her teeth. Amidst the make-shift bull ride, the outsider could feel the cold blood on his hand spraying drops all around, some even got onto her bangs. A little souvenir, she mused. Finally with a violent swing of his arm, her front set of teeth loosened; although slightly, it was enough for the Joker to release himself from the sharp shackle.

She was flung downward and a sea of black immediately welcomed her. She tumbled into what seemed to be an irregular hole, the bathroom light decreasing its energy behind her. Great, another stupid rabbit hole again, she thought grimly.

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"That bitc*!" the ring master snarled through gritted teeth. His head instinctively swivelled left and right in an anxious search for her, revenge blazing his eyes like a mini fire.

"Well, I'll be damned" Black blinked dumbfounded. Had he only imagined the hole that appeared on the floor where Alice had fallen into? He could've sworn it wasn't there when they first entered the bathroom. On a second glance though, the hole seemed to have vanished, the floor being stripped of anything but grime and dust, as if it _didn't_ swallow a miniature human being.

"Hey, Black! Where'd my bitc*y doll go?"

Black turned back to White and a peculiar anger sparked inside of him. "Like hell I know. And by the way, enough of this 'doll' cra*? No look-alike of mine will be fuc*ing gay here, understand?" he shot back with a confidence he didn't know he had. A wave of sympathy washed over him as he really _looked_ at his equal's appearance, major details missed at first glance.

Although White didn't notice it, his face was smothered with dry blood on the skin underneath his unpatched eye, his fingers twitched with shards of shiny glass poked around his palm, which weren't clear since the whole hand was bleeding and his eye, normally white surrounding black was presenting a wonderful shade of maroon around hot pink embellished with living veins. Of course, Black refused to acknowledge the bite mark which had started to grow raw and bloody on the other hand, courtesy of Alice's tiny teeth. He held his tongue, realizing that White was in the worse condition to be tolerated with. However, White himself wasn't finished. He seethed his whip from his right like a sword and his eyebrows furrowed

"Fuc* you, your supposed to be dead by now!" he growled, hitting the leather strip on the sink with a flick of his wrist. The poor, fragile sink cut open easily and used water sprayed out of the pipes, wetting White's hindquarters and barely missing Black's lovely shoes. "I should have killed you the minute I entered this shit*y bathroom" White's wrist bent backward.

One move, one flick and its all over, Black thought. He was the next thing to being shattered into a million pieces with blood leaking everywhere instead of plumbing water. He instinctively brought his arms up in a half-flinch. But strangely, White hesitated, gazing solemnly at the broken plumbing system. "Who was supposed to clean this 'shit*y bathroom' anyway?" he asked quizzically "this place is a wreck!"

Black's eyelids flew up "what the fuc*? Why are you bringing up that shi* _now_?" White stared at him incredulously.

"What, you don't agree?"

"I mean, you're supposed to hit me with that stupid whip. So c'mon" he raised his arms up to block his forehead. "Get it fuc*ing over with"

White erected a fine eyebrow curiously before trotting over to his twin. Gently, he brought down the high limb, exposing Black's astonished face. "Now why on earth would I do that?"

That's when Black engulfed a breath in surprise, gazing at White's unhidden orb with its pearly white sclera. What added more to his shock was the blood on the Joker's right cheek, gone, absolutely clean. The stench of scarlet liquid narrowed down to his dripping hand. Black swallowed back the many inquiries pilling up in his head. White curiously watched his partner whose complexion was unwarily drained of color.

"What's wrong, Black?" White smiled like he always did when he was amused. "It looks like you just saw a ghost" the mentioned man remained speechless, words of disbelief lost in a sea of thoughts.

"You probably did" White casually touched the broken sink with his affected hand and yelled out a cry of pain "what is- this?" his eye patch twitched as his now-normal right eye progressed the image of glass piercing into his skin. He plucked a single piece out and winced.

"I'll go get the first aid kit" the role holder whirled around towards the door, stopping at the frame momentarily. "In the meantime, could you clean up that toilet bowl, it reeks"

"Uh, y-yeah" Black didn't even think twice of disobeying his twin's request (usually, it's with a 'hell no!') as he conveniently reached for the toilet scrubber next to the tub and started lathering the seat viciously with soap.

His shaky hand abrupt midway through his cleaning "Hey White, don't you remember anything?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Black" White called back as he fearlessly re-entered the crepuscular room. Suddenly, a queer shock ran through his nervous system and he stumbled forward, his eyes blinking bright red shortly before returning to its ordinary white. "I-don't..."

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"He's telling the truth" said Nightmare, withdrawing from his examination of the frightened mouse. He yanked the stethoscope from his right ear and then his left, an amused smile traced across his face. Although he didn't have much use for the nursing instrument, it seemed more fun that way to use something 'professional' for his work rather than to read his mind, which was a far too easy -and far too boring- job for him.

"You're serious?" Gray raised an eyebrow; his lean form slouched on a chair not too far away from his boss. His arms were crossed, attempting to give Nightmare the firm idea that he wasn't in the mood for one of his 'games'.

The incubus smiled wearily "Oh, I'm _definitely_ serious. Pierce _has_ seen Alice small"

"Now, do you believe me?" Pierce asked wildly "Alice _is_ small and she could be in trouble, I haven't seen her since Gowland's ride"

"And what a _stupid_ ride that was, might I add" Boris grumbled, slumped onto his own chair and munching on the contents of a Cheetos bag "hey Night', where do you get these Jee-toes? The stuff in here's awesome"

"Would you listen to me for _one_ second?" Pierce grabbed at his hair, frustrated in the constant responses of the role holders. Didn't they care? Didn't they care _at all_ for Alice, sweet, kind, life-loving Alice? His rat nails dug into the white of his scull, making it sore whilst his fingers unwillingly urging the blood to peak out. His limbs trembled in resentment and his throat made an unpleasant sound he couldn't decipher. He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly, hoping the blood would slip downward.

At that moment, he felt a hand drop on his shoulder. His bright eyes fluttered open to collect the sight of Nightmare before him, hand tenderly on his right shoulder.

"We _do_ care for Alice" of course, Pierce forgot Nightmare's obnoxious mind-reading skills. "But you've really got to trust Alice more, she isn't a little girl" Pierce could see the deep knowledge, the long-lasting wisdom in the incubus' only eye and that he truly believed in the foreigner's possibility of survival. He relaxed a little.

"You'd know...from my mind, that she looked-"

"Vulnerable, small, everything you are when you're a mouse" Nightmare finished for him, hand travelling up to Pierce's orange clump of hair and patting it fondly.

"But Alice is _not _a mouse. She may look like an innocent girl but she isn't entirely vulnerable nor is she small. Believe me-" his mouth stretched into a smile "-I've known her long enough to know that" Silence passed between the four as everyone assimilated Nightmare's words, almost like a riddle. After five ticks of the grandfather clock resting in the office though, nobody figured out the answer.

"Alright then" said Boris, setting the empty chip bag down on a table "what can we do?"

"_You_ won't necessarily need to do anything but Gray, I need a handkerchief, something long enough to blindfold me" Nightmare went into business mode, adjusting the collar of his suit to look _ready_. His employee didn't even hesitate, running out of the room expertly as if this situation happened all the time.

"A blindfold?" Pierce repeated, flabbergasted.

"No, a handkerchief, didn't you hear me?" the demon replied as he cornered around his desk. He jerked one of his drawers open and rummaged through its messy load of...wait, aren't those art materials?

"This should do it!" he plucked out a number-two pencil, the pink eraser on the other end flat from overuse and the blunt point glinting like a sword.

"Ooh, a pencil. Scary" Boris said, flailing his hands to promote his sarcasm.

Nightmare frowned "you should be, this is no ordinary pencil"

"Sorry, I didn't know it was your eyeliner"

"Cut it out, Boris" Pierce jabbed him with his elbow, strong enough to create a red mark on his forearm. "What does the pencil do?"

Nightmare simpered and walked to the center of the room in a proud stride. "Observe" he crouched onto the floor and slammed the pencil down. He then began to trace with a careful hand a flawless, round sphere, large enough for a human to jump into. Once he finished drawing the orb, the recently wood mahogany floor had started to sink into jet-black. The inky pigment hissed as it ate through the wood, smoke sizzling wherever the black was. It consumed the timber color so fast that Boris and Pierce backed away simultaneously in fear that they would be the next target. The black stopped dead at the curved lines, leaving a black circle in the middle of the room.

Nightmare blew at the pencil "if this was eyeliner, your eyelids would burnt to a crisp and you'll go blind"

"I-I see" the Cheshire cat stammered, too stunned to make a comeback.

"Nightmare-sama, I got the handkerchief" Gray jogged in, hand clasped around a plain blue cloth.

"Excellent, now tie me" the caterpillar proceeded to wrap the handkerchief around Nightmare's eyes, knotting twice and firm. "Ok, now I just need to wait two minutes for the sphere to take effect"

Pierce raised his finger "Pardon me asking, but what exactly _are_ you doing?"

"He's conjuring up a transposition circle" Gray explained "Alice refers to it as a 'Rabbit Hole'"

"The one that brought her to Wonderland in the first place?"

"Precisely, he just has to think up somebody's name and that person will be immediately transported here"

"and a blind-fold would help me think in one direction and one direction only" Nightmare added, patting the material with a content smile. He was helped by his employee to be perched onto a chair just in front of the circle. The incubus refused to move, allowing short breaths to pass through his nasal cavity and to settle on his diaphragm. He had to concentrate, think of nothing, clear his mind and completely relax.

"Sooooo, if he thought of 'Blood' then would he-"

"BORIS!" Gray cried but it was clearly last minute.

The dark circle grumbled and shook, causing the floor to vibrate slightly. It compressed, appearing like an empty ditch in the middle of the office, shaped like a corset. Lastly, it spat like one would usually spit; pursed its lips like a codfish. A broad man shot out and hit the ceiling with a BANG! that should have knocked him out cold. However being Blood Dupre, his inhuman endurance permitted him to remain wide awake and open to any pain that comes forth him. The man winced and rolled onto his side "What the hell? Hey, where the fuc* am I?"

"Clover country, clock tower" Pierce said briefly, palming his face at the scenario played out.

"Clover country? Why am I-" he was cut short, noticing that the other role holders were peculiarly upside down. He squinted and rubbed his eyes yet the dominance of beings standing topsy-turvy in the room remained its number.

Then it hit him, _he_ was the one upside down.

Blood crashed onto the floor with another resounding BANG! and even more cursing followed. "I'll murder whoever sent me here" he snarled, elbowing the ground to assist him in rising. On the sidelines, Boris whistled and avoided eye contact. Gray shot him a glare that the mad hatter had fortunately failed to notice.

"I apologize, Blood. It was a mistake, we can send you back to your country, free of charge"

Blood cocked an eyebrow and threw his thumb over his shoulder "why can't I just jump back in that stupid hole?"

"It only works one-way, again I apologize"

The newcomer grumbled under his breath "you're all lucky I don't have my machine gun with me"

"I'm sure we are"

"However, my business deal was rudely interrupted and unfortunately, I can't ignore that. Mind sending a telegram to Ace and-"

Gray's eyes flew wide open "NO, wait!" Too late. The dark circle grumbled, compressed and spat out the second visitor. This time however, the incomer had managed to kick off the ceiling before colliding with it and landed onto the ground with a graceful flap of his cape, his balance being certainly intact.

Blood snorted "You've got to be kidding me"

"Oh, why...am I here?" the knight of hearts absorbed the new background and as usual, put a hand to his chin "I thought I was at the Mafia Mansion"

"Your in Clover country, clock tower. Hello Ace" Pierce waved

"Mr. Mousy? How did you end up over here?"

"Long story short" Boris shrugged off a greeting "Thanks to that stupid ride of Go-"

"Ok everyone, just SHUT UP!" much to everyone's surprise, it had been Gray that had exclaimed the command. He had eliminated his calm demeanour and was now huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf. He turned to his employer, sitting patiently and waiting for the next name "Nightmare-sama, you _always_ get the easier jobs" He shoved his hand up his bangs and ruffled them as if to assure himself that he _wasn't_ stressed. Years of late nights and loyal work now revealing true on his complexion, crumpling his youth and ruining his usual disposition.

"Alice" he stated finally "Alice Liddell" for the third time that day, the dark circle grumbled and compressed. The ex-assassin yanked at Boris' boa –not minding the choking sounds coming for the cat's side- and held it atop the circle, in time to catch the little individual that alighted onto it. He flipped over the feathery composition skilfully and gazed at the small girl, shivering, startled and stunk like hell.

**AN: Hm, nothing special in this chap, disappointed? :( Oh and the hole part, something I thought of regarding HOW Nightmare did the Rabbit Hole thingy, entirely fanfic though. So not. real. kapeesh?**

**Special thanks to moonflower princess, Minori-chan, calypso tchaka, pasty face, Somewhere Nowhere, Space Whales, Thief In The Abyss, (somebody else) and pacchiri cherii for reviewing. They certainly were some great Christmas gifts ;) Plus, they helped me update faster :D**

**And Minori-chan is it all right, if I use your suggestion for the next chapter? :3 **

**Thanx for reading and if you don't mind, review please :] .**


	9. Almost Alice

**AN: Hello, everyone. Glad to see you back. I apologize for my long absence and I mean _long absence_. For the past months, I couldn't find it in myself to finish a story that has gone absolutely dull and had zero sense of humor the more I continued with it.**

**At least, that is how I view it (and still do). Contrary to this, I hate not being able to answer to the people who reviewed. Expectations grow and I force myself another chapter. Here is the fruit of my labor.**

**Two chapters meant to be one, separated by the titles. Hope you don't get too bored. =.=**

**The blue caterpillar observed the girl dully "-You're much more her now. In fact, you're _almost alice_"**

_**Chapter 9: Almost Alice**_

She gazed with eyes of bewilderment into the huge dark orbs of her holder, which is an understatement for her. For a moment, she failed to recognize the person and had failed to utter much of any the questions lurking inside her mind. Alice allowed her mouth to be slightly agape as she breathed in slow motion. Her chest smothered in bowl water hurt with the intense pumping as adrenaline had kept her alive earlier. She glanced behind the head containing those beautiful black irises and saw people, familiar people, familiar people she didn't know. Her head throbbed and she lurched forward, spluttering out bits and bits of dirty, salty liquid.

"Alice" she watched as an orange-head popped out from the right side. He smiled so warm-heartedly that Alice felt completely guilty of forgetting his name.

"You're back" he said. Then, it clicked.

"Pierce" it sounded different in her head. The small girl looked back at the person in front of her, his lips gradually parting and his eyes staring down at her own. But Alice didn't notice the motions at all. "Gray"

She quickly peeked at his left "Boris"

Her gaze returned to the right "Ace"

Then, a shadow from behind her darkened her view in front. Her head whirled around "Shi*"

Blood grunted "that's certainly not my name, young lady" the foreigner spun around and backed away from the Hatter in fear. How many times has he gone after her? No, better yet, was he _still_ after her for the sake of getting to experience the stupid obsession side-effect? She shook her head, clearing herself mentally. Intimidated by the glaring eyes of the Mad Hatter, she chose to stay quiet.

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That son of a bitc*.

Blood stared at Gray with growing resentment. In his hands cushioned by a certain cat's boa, lay the doll he's been trying to capture this whole week. He had to chop down trees, kill animals, go through a rambling forest without showering for nights to count and that was more than enough to piss him off.

He cautiously circled the group; Alice was not to see him so easily. She would jump at the sight of him due to his...rather rash actions. It wasn't his fault to begin with. _She_ had to turn magically into the size of a hamster. No one can resist their beloved foreigner in a smaller form. Frankly, he couldn't even restrain himself.

She began to name the role holders one by one, pausing after each like they were all hard to pronounce. When she got to the knight of hearts, one of the last, Blood took the opportunity to step forward. He hated how his shadow casted over her as if some evil man was behind her. She turned around and her pupils shrank, which was saying a lot. She cursed and he made a joke about it "that's certainly not my name, young lady" Alice didn't seem to get his humor and instantly cowered away from him, as expected. He licked his lips; she wasn't making this any easier.

"Bravo, I did not expect you to live this long" he clapped his hands making a short hollow sound per smack. In reply, she nodded testily whilst her eyebrows pulled together in a sort of contemplation.

"You'll be happy to know that I have made the decision to stop chasing you. I will no longer hunt you down like the madman I am" he said smoothly as his mental script began to unfold. To end the scenario was with a sincere and polite bow which, he did so. Alice was not convinced in the slightest

"You plan to NOT go after me?"

"You speak the truth" he lied. She was fickle in response yet she knew that there was _no_ way the Hatter was telling the truth.

The Caterpillar switched gazes from man to woman, analyzing the situation best he could "Alice, what is he-"

"Shut up" Blood interrupted instantaneously but that wasn't enough to stop the honorable ex-assassin. He's seen more dangerous things, the most horrifying being in this exact room and precise moment.

"Go after you?" he continued inquiries as if Blood has never spoken.

Alice curled her head towards Gray "because of my small size, role holders supposedly get obsessed with me and wouldn't want to give me up. Blood's been after me ever since just so he could try out the 'obsession' effect"

"And the obsession can't be resisted" The Mad Hatter continued "imagine a feeling that is do desirable and uncontrollable that you'll never want her to leave you. It's so…intriguing"

Alice's eyes narrowed at him as she switched her gaze to him "well Blood, you'll be happy to know that now," she grinned smugly "I have the cake"

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Gray and Alice.

Blood and Alice.

Hm, nope, don't like either of them. Ace crossed his arms over his chest. His face was feigned with a stretched beam that he was apparently used to.

He remembers few of the foreigner's new size; the rest of it was fuzzy. He had 'seen' her somewhere at the Hatter's mansion and along the way in the forest but the memory was foggy, blurred of a weird red color. His limited knowledge of the situation has contained enough info though to understand that Alice Liddell has temporarily shrank and that he needed to take advantage of it as soon as possible or the chance shall slip.

Currently, he hadn't paid attention to anything concerning the Hatman and smallfry's conversation. It seemed unessential, the flirting, the lies, the rhetorical questions. Ace thought it wise to stay as far away from the chat as possible.

However, he lent an ear to Alice's recent sentence: "You'll be happy to know that now, I have the cake"

The fuc*? Was she hungry or something?

The Knight watched as Blood's expression travelled from baffled to violent. From there, he thought that perhaps, the conversation had become interesting.

"Well, you seem very lucky" Blood smiled, something Ace had perceived to be oddly familiar. Ah yes, the convincing fake smile. The Hatter was evidentially skilled with it as well. "I'm happy for you"

"You _are_?" Alice did not conceal her doubt

"Yes, I am. After all, what merit will I gain from your tiny size? It's perfectly irrelevant"

"You didn't seem to think that before"

He shrugged "it just occurred to me now"

Smallfry had no smart comeback to respond and that entertained Ace all the more. He pressed forward into the little circle, determined to add input to the conversation when suddenly, something unpleasant entered his nasal cavity and he gagged "pee-yoo, what's that smell?"

Alice semi-turned while the rest seemed to have frozen in place "what are you talking about, Ace?"

The Knight of Hearts sniffed the air and a part of his nose erected in disgust "it smells like poo"

Then, it struck him and he smirked.

"Alright, who had an 'accident'?" as expected, nobody raised his hand or offered the asked confirmation and Ace laughed. He sauntered forward, heading for the center and continued in a mock tone "c'mon, don't be shy"

The smell had gotten incredibly stronger as he moved and it seemed that he had hit bull's eye. Abruptly, he stopped and chuckled even louder. Ace glowered over Alice and gave her a wicked smile "oh Alice"

She shuffled in the boa timidly and a blush crept onto her cheeks. She had no idea that she smelled that bad.

"This man in front of you just had an accideeeeeeeent" the knight said in a loud whisper from behind the palm of his hand.

Gray's head snapped up sharply, his complexion stained bright fuchsia "you idiot, I didn't!"

"He did! He did! I can smell it from a mile away, Gray" Ace fanned his nose and kept snickering.

The prime caterpillar dropped the boa that cushioned Alice and went after the man "I did NOT!"

"Oh Gray, you're so cute when you're in denial" Ace fought off the fists Gray kept launching at him, trying his best to keep from laughing.

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Alice felt gravity take her, her hair flying above her and a scream stuck in her throat. The fall had been too short however and the air had been sucked back into her as she fell back into the boa, unharmed.

Blood watched as Gray let go of the boa, seeking revenge against the man who had claimed he pooed in his pants.

Pathetic.

He also noticed Alice as she tumbled down clumsily in midair. Now was his chance to win her over. Saving her could just change their relationship indefinitely. He wasted no more time. Blood rushed towards the pink boa.

Before he could take his third step however, the Cheshire cat had reached Alice and caught the boa niftily.

"Gotcha" he said.

The Madhatter stood there in embarrassment, staring as the moment that should have been him and Alice unfolded before him. He was unaware of his fists clenching in envy of watching the pink man and his desired doll, another opportunity gone down the drain. When he felt something wet on the palm of his hands, he gazed into the bright red stain on his gloves.

Well, what do you know? Five seconds into jealousy and he just earned himself a wound.

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Alice. It's been a while since he has seen her.

She had lost her usual scent in a sea of urine (as Boris calls it) yet she still pertained a sight of perfection to him, minus the wild hair and messed-up outfit.

She heaved in relief and thanked him for the quick save. It was wonderful to hear her voice again and all the cat could do was nod dreamily. She seemed not to notice as she stared off into the distance where Ace and Gray were bickering, Pierce helplessly in the middle trying to stop the quarrel.

She frowned "I really do smell like shi*, don't I?"

"indeed, you do" the two turned to see Nightmare heading their way, a knowing smirk marked on his face "I'm suprised Gray was able to put up with it" he said, causing the girl to flush in embarrassment

"It's alright; you could still wash it off. There is a sink in the kitchen that you could use as a shower"

"Thank goodness" was all she offered as a reply but it seemed to satisfy the incubus.

"I'll take you there now" Boris smiled, lifting her up gently and leading her towards the kitchen. Alice curiously peeked over her shoulder and when she couldn't catch sight of the Mad Hatter, she shrugged and leaned back onto the feathers of the boa.

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The water felt warm to Alice's skin, a sort of relief as it washed down her face and onto her naked body. The urinary smell was still evident but she rubbed on as much soap as she could get her little hands on to drown out the horrible stench.

Although Nightmare had locked the door before exiting the room, she had been open to the danger that it wasn't a hundred percent guarantee that they wouldn't peep through the keyhole. As a solution, our blonde heroine had created a makeshift shower curtain. Using the kitchen hand towel she found on the side, she wrapped it around the area and nailing it down onto the wall with two safety pins she found, clipping them on either side of the bath towel which had remained on the ring that held it up. It took her some time but better safe than sorry.

She closed her eyes at the memory and carefully proceeded to massage her scalp using the excess bubbles she used to clean her body with. Then by accident, she touched the spot in the middle of her hairline. It stung painfully and sent multiple warning signals to her body, not to touch it. The enormous bruise was due to Joker's grip on her hair as he yanked her out of his toilet and held her by the ends of it. She frowned at the memory; she had been scared to death back then and had not expected to survive the scenario entire.

Alice shook her head of the foul thoughts; there were more important things to think about. Like once she got back to her normal size, she would go back to Country of Hearts and make Julius her one-hundred point coffee. She would reach up and yank Elliot's 'rabbit' ears. She would ride something at the amusement park with Boris and the twins. She would visit Vivaldi and stay in her plush/doll-filled room for a few hours. She would camp out with Ace. She would...dare she say it, steal Blood's big hat and hide it out somewhere for him to find. She smiled as a pleasant image of him frantically searching for his hat popped into her head.

Alice finished off with her long locks and used both of her hands to turn off the sink water which had begun to gather a small flood below her ankles. She pushed the 'shower curtain' aside and after looking left and right for any peeping toms, she stepped out. Every step she took was heavy and caused splashes to and fro. As she reached the edge of the sink, she heaved herself out using both of her arms and onto the kitchen counter. She squeezed water out off her hair and flung the damp mess over her shoulders.

Alice walked to the spot she left her clothes and was surprised to just see her undergarments. She eyed the plain beige bra and matching underwear suspiciously and wondered if it was hidden somewhere beneath any of the two.

The question still remained and her breath caught. Where was her dress?

Her eyes widened in horror as it dawned her and her fists crumpled up in fury. "I'm going to kill them" The sad revelation that the cake was still in her pocket as well.

**Almost Alice 'cuz she's almost herself (?) :D. Nah, its because she had the cake in her hands and then, it just suddenly slips away like, that!  
**

**Well, this was supposedly half of the chapter I was supposed to publish. The second part is in the next chapter. Go ahead, click the button. :)  
**


	10. Ladies in Trousers and Men in Dresses

**AN: You reached the other side! :D I applaud you.**_**  
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_**Chapter 10: The Ladies in Trousers and Men in Dresses**_

Pierce approached the table with a flushed expression on his furry face, the aquamarine gown on the tips of his teeth.

"Good work, Pierce" Nightmare knelt to pet the small animal as Gray retrieved the dress from his mouth.

"Just what do you plan to achieve by stealing a young lady's dress?" Blood trotted over to Gray's side, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"I plan to buy us some time, of course" Nightmare said matter-of-factly "let me make this clear, only _one_ of us walks away with Alice and seeing as if we all have some sort of... attachment to her" he paused and leered hauntingly at the five role holders before him.

He concentrated on their reactions carefully: Boris, flushed at the statement averted his eyes in humiliation, Gray looked away and scratched a part of his cheek, Blood glared at the incubus but said nothing, Pierce, still in mouse form shuffled his paws in bashfulness as his cheeks held a distinct scarlet beneath his whiskers and Ace beamed "you read our minds? That's not polite"

"Politeness was never part of my job description" Nightmare smiled back "now as I was saying; I don't want any blood to spill in this tower just for the unfair ownership of Alice"

"You treat her like she's some kind of item" Boris growled, eyes flaring with an untamed anger.

The demon lifted his chin towards him "based on her memory, everyone's been treating her like that ever since she shrank. It's not something you can change"

"That's funny, since Wonderland is _full_ of change" the redhead released another laugh which was beginning to irritate the demon and he purposely ignored the obnoxious knight.

"I intend a form of justice here as to prevent a fight between all of us"

"What do you mean?" Pierce inquired timidly. He had finally returned to human form, although slight color was still visible on his cheeks indicating the place of his whiskers.

"I mean that I want an auction" the incubus stated, staring into the small crowd for reception "we will all try to 'buy' Alice, the one with the highest offer gets to either bring her home or convince her to stay here without interference of the losing party"

A chuckle erupted from the back of the group, one that had evidentially grown to annoy Nightmare "that's actually a smart idea, Nightmare" said Ace "I'm in"

Pierce raised his hand hastily "I-I'm in too!"

Nightmare peered over at his quiet employee whom had his head jumbled with thoughts, weighing out his feelings for Alice and if it was worth the cruel expression to 'buy' her. After a moment, he took a seat across Nightmare's desk and buried his head into his hands in contemplation.

"Well Gray, are you in?" the person in question breathed slowly as to clear his thoughts before turning towards his grinning boss whom knew his answer already.

"Guess I'll have to be in" he said finally, his voice almost full of regret.

Nightmare's point of vision switched to the last two whom were pondering of their own decision.

The ebony-haired one smirked "I suppose it's fair to warn you that I don't plan on losing to the likes of any of you"

"So you're in, Hatter?"

Blood's eyes narrowed in frustration and he naturally crossed his arms "don't make me repeat myself"

"Alright, around the table everyone" said Nightmare, gesturing a hand to his desk and adjusting chairs and sofas here and there to make things convenient. He instructed everyone to take a seat and everyone did, except the unsatisfied Cheshire cat whom stood outside of the group, glaring.

"It's not polite to stare at others, Boris"

"I still don't like how Alice is being treated here"

Nightmare sighed, resting his chin onto his hands "if you don't want to join. Fine, we're not stopping you but we're still proceeding with the auction. It's your choice to stand there and do nothing"

Boris pondered on his various choices, standing there like a lost fool as the others stared at him apprehensively. Most of them guessed he'd either walk out the door or barge into the kitchen to warn Alice. He'd be dead before he could do the latter. The cat exhaled heavily before walking limply towards an empty chair

"I'm in" 'but I'm going to buy Alice back, mark my words' Boris added as a thought, aware that nobody heard him except Nightmare.

"That just makes it more interesting" the demon said. Resting onto the back of his chair, his hand ascended patiently into the air "role holders, start bidding-now!"

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"Come on, mouse. mooooove!" the gray creature opened its mouth and released a vicious yawn before settling his large head onto his paws leisurely. She eyed the mouse for further movement expectantly. Seeing none, she threw her hands up in exasperation "this is hopeless!"

There she was, bra strapped on, underwear intact and a ripped portion of kitchen towel draped over her tube-like. Her hair was still damp since she had just come out of bathing and her shoulders bare and exposed shivered slightly. She was installed atop a mouse, although she had reason to believe it was a rat.

The young girl had prepared to ride the little creature to the door since the distance was quiet immense and was evidently not something her tiny feet could handle. She would then find some creative way to get beyond the barrier that was the locked door in search of her lost dress. But the rat was not planning to cooperate with her whatsoever.

"Pierce would have been better" she grumbled under her breath.

The rat's ears perked up at the sentence and it curved its neck slightly to face her. "Pierce? The orange mouse?" he spoke in a queer English accent and his voice was incredibly low. He felt Alice shift above him in an emotion he suspected to be discomfort.

"You can talk?"

The animal did what resembled a faint shrug "naturally, I can. Do you know Pierce?"

The heroine nodded eagerly, perhaps now he would pay heed to her request. "Yes, he's my friend!"

"I _hate_ that mouse. He's such a wimp. Now, get the fuc* off"

Alice gripped tighter onto his fur, her other hand latched onto her towel to protect her nudity as she bent over "No! I need to get to the other side of the room. I'm too small to reach the doorknob"

"That's not my problem, friend-of-Pierce" his snout rose in defiance and Alice's heart clenched in disappointment. She however refused to give up.

Our heroine groped at the rat's ear and gave it a warning tug, earning an inaudible squeal from the owner. The animal began to move wildly but she dug her nails into the thin ear, forcing the rat to abrupt involuntarily.

She hissed at him "if you lend me a hand for a bit, I'll let your precious ear go. If you're nice, I'll even promise to hit Pierce in the back of his head for being such a wimp once I get back to normal. Have we got a deal?"

It took a long while before he offered her an answer. The big rat snickered, sending shaking motions to his passenger "you're very convincing, miss"

A smile crossed her face and she relaxed her position on the rodent. She proceeded immediately, time was ticking fast. "Is there a hole connecting from here to the other side?" she inquired based on agenda.

"Just around the corner"

"Perfect"

"Although" the rat went on, his gaze fell to the floor and he snickered again. Alice wondered if a rat's laughter was something normal. "You plan to walk into the room- in that?"

She surveyed her appearance up and down, all she could see was the towel and just a peak of her breasts. Both of her legs were exposed, the towel couldn't support to hide them without keeping secure the top portion. She sighed, annoyance flashing across her facial expression.

"They obviously planned it anyway" she muttered to herself, referring to the role holders in the other room. "That's why I plan to hide from them and I need your help for that matter"

The unnamed rat groaned "why me?"

She lightly ran her nail over his sore ear dangerously, feeling the smooth texture of it "just keep quiet and do your job properly and I promise to give you some cheese later"

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"Fifty"

"Fifty-one"

"Fifty-two"

"Fifty-three, what will you do now, Blood?"

"I'm not finished, Knight of Hearts, fifty-four" said Blood, his expression creased in utmost concentration.

"Fifty-five!" Pierce added quickly, his heart throbbing against his chest at the outburst. Nightmare, slouched onto his seat went on "Going once, going twice-"

"Fifty-six" Ace said.

Nightmare threw his limbs up in the air "oh my gosh! Someone bid higher already, we've been counting for an hour now. I'm getting booooooooooored" he extended the last part childishly.

Not receiving feedback, he slumped back onto his chair, evidentially tired of the activity. He had expected something interesting to arouse during the auction but all they've been doing since 'five' was count upward.

"Sixty!" Boris cried, his face smothered with gloat. "I bid sixty"

Ace's eyebrows lifted and he rubbed his chin "uhoh! Getting bold, I see"

"This is just stupid" Gray muttered under his breath, having not bided at all since the beginning. He had planned a simple scheme by bidding by the time they reached the hundreds. His patience was running short as they continuously stuck to two digits. His hand gently smacked his face in irritation.

"Have any of you actually _been_ to an auction?"

"We seem to be lacking the chips and the cards"

"We are _not_ talking about poker, Blood" the incubus' temper was thinning slowly and it drained every bit of him not to get up and strangle the Hatman.

"Then no, I haven't been to one"

"We've established that" replied the incubus, chanting to mentally to calm himself.

A familiar chuckle caught everyone's attention and the infamous knight scratched that back of his head out of habit "I'm just waiting for the others to say they're out of money, I'm not gonna waste a dime"

Pierce's hand erected doubtfully, almost unsure if he should just put it back down or proceed.

The demon heaved "what is it, Pierce?"

"Um, I didn't know we were yelling out money. I-thought we were just counting. All I currently own is five bucks"

"Pardon me saying, Nightmare-sama. But this is relatively useless"

"I'm beginning to think that now" said Nightmare as he elevated from his chair

"And where do you think you're going?" Blood asked suspiciously, keeping surveillance on the demon's every move.

"The bathroom" he shrugged "continue with the bidding, not like you'll reach anywhere beyond two-hundred" Nightmare trotted away from the grumbling group and hummed halfway through the bathroom, kinetic motion catching his attention. A rat was standing on its hind legs, screeching madly atop a dresser on the side of the room.

The incubus paused before it and watched it carefully "Pierce, is he a friend of yours?"

There was a yelp from behind him. The dormouse had a traumatized face on, pointing a shaking finger at the creature "th-that's Billy!"

"Billy?" Nightmare frowned, blinking at the large rat that waved his arms up in the air and bounced up and down, trying to get their attention.

"he- he's the rat that bullies me when I'm a mouse" Pierce went on lamely, ducking his head in shame. "Yuck, a rat" Boris stuck his tongue out in disgust. He had tasted the animal before which species were not as good as the other rodents. The rough tail persisted to stick out, its dead fur was abundant with little insects and its buckteeth-Boris shivered at the foul memory-clicked to his tongue with an awful taste, it forced the cat to spit it out.

Ace peered at the creature from his place at the table, one elbow perched atop the back of the chair "aw, what a cute rat" he chuckled, making the Cheshire cat shrudder.

Billy was squealing constantly at Nightmare, urgently pointing it's snout at the door leading to the kitchen. The mind reader glanced at it once and then back to the shrill screams of the rat. The animal's mind was throbbing with a contrary calmness since its mouth was wild with talk. Nightmare unfortunately did not understand 'rat' and could not help any further.

"I think it's trying to tell me something"

Pierce gasped, having been able to translate roughly the _rata_ dialect "it's about Alice!"

The Prime Dormouse leaped from his chair, the other role holders following suit. The furniture clattered onto the floor simultaneously and the rat winced at the high volume of collision.

"What about Alice?" Gray pitched in, raising an eyebrow at Billy whom had gone silent due to the gathering crowd.

"He said something about her lost dress" said Pierce, approaching the rat. It bared its teeth at the mouse in resentment before continuing its operation. It squeak twice, thrice then twice again, a secret Morse code nobody but rodent alike could understand.

Pierce's irises shrunk exceptionally and in a daze, he murmured under his breath. The role holders urged him to repeat and when he did, silence ensued.

"She's gone"

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She noticed that Blood was the first to launch at the mahogany door in search for her. However, Alice had more pressing issues to deal with rather than care about that minor detail. The operation required _all_ role holders to get distracted by any means while she goes on the perilous mission to retrieve her gown.

She bounced over the clattered chairs cautiously, reaching one of the legs of the table. She wrapped her arms around the leg with her limbs snaking around as well, urging herself up in a difficult climb. A hint of adrenaline hastened her in the ascent and in twenty seconds flat, she had reached the top.

Panting heavily, she heaved herself up and spotted her dress, laid out in a crumpled blue mess in the middle of the table. She dashed towards it, her chest drummed against her ribcage in fear of the high possibility that they could be back at any moment now. Her place was open; she would be helplessly exposed and would be at the mercy of such perverts. Droplets of sweat reached her chin just as she made it to her dress and hastily bend down to pick it up.

All of a sudden, a sharp object slammed onto the table, cutting her gown easily in half as the cloth flapped at impact. She wrenched her hand out of harm's way and gazed upward to see a certain redhead grinning down at her, sword at hand.

"My, my, you think it would have been that easy?" The foreigner swallowed the lump in her throat, her heart going on a painful rampage in her chest.

"Nice view, by the way" she was bent over in a half-reach to her clothes and her towel had gotten pretty low.

She straightened up, fighting the blush that spilled into her cheeks "Ace, what have you done? My dress is as good as gone now!"

"Aw, it's ok, little Alice. You look pretty in a towel" he mocked her, a vein threatened to burst on the side of her temple but she breathed it down.

She glared at the towering man "how did you know? That I went here"

The Knight of Hearts grinned maliciously and threw his sword over his shoulder like it was as light as a feather. "Obvious, really. It's suspicious to think you could've left the tower and the next best idea was that you used 'Billy' over there as a distraction"

"The others didn't seem to notice"

Ace chuckled under his breath resembling the evil laughter of a villain "I'm not like the others"

Alice focused on the man move for move and did not like how he was smiling at her. What concerned her all the more was that Nightmare should have been able to catch up on Ace's motives. He would have heard Ace's thoughts earlier and would have also waited for her to appear.

As if reading her thoughts, Ace tapped the corner of his temple "technique. A good knight always learns to keep even his 'thoughts' shut"

It scared her to be alone in a room with this man. She backed away a single step but Ace's attention switched over to her foot at even that slight motion. Her hands instinctively flew to the top of her towel, pulling it up to her collar bone as she took another step backward.

"Aw, is little Alice scared of me?"

Fear froze the girl in place, where were the other role holders? Her head whirled over to the kitchen door just as sounds of thumping and the occasional collision erupted from behind it.

Ace gave a careless glance at it and exhaled quickly through his nose, a quiet laugh "I locked the door"

"Alice, are you in there?" Boris' voice cried out, muffled by the wooden separation.

"Ace, you bastard! Open the door!" Blood's voice followed.

"Let me out! I'm claustrophobic!" Pierce screamed desperately, banging consistently on the door with two fists.

"Knight of Hearts, don't you dare touch Alice" Nightmare said between grunts as he collided his whole being to the door.

Ace beamed and gazed down at Alice "nobody will interrupt us now"

Screw her fears. Alice raced to the end of the desk however the knight's movements matched that of an angry viper. He ripped her towel off swiftly, whirling Alice around as it unwrapped her. She fell butt first onto the table; her eyes scrunched closed as pain shocked her. The knight stretched out his arm to grab her but she ducked by a split second and made a break for the center.

Her dress. She had to get to the cake.

"This is fun!" Ace chuckled, attempting to nab her again but she dodged his hold.

"You're faster than I thought"

It's true, her agility has increased indefinitely. A reasonable pump of adrenaline in such situations could in fact, save her. Ace's other hand tried to grab her head and Alice slid down to avoid his hand similar to how a baseball player would. She got to the tip of her gown and hope washed over her being. But then, Ace had managed to grapple onto her legs and was currently dragging her away from her dress. Her shaking hands gripped onto her torn outfit desperately.

"You see, little Alice. You can't win" Ace grinned over her, pausing his movements to taunt her. Our heroine felt all hope slip away from her as she stared into the remnants of her dress. The blue had started to fade and the perfect slit crossing the top of the dress to her waist was of Ace's work.

She suddenly caught sight of a tag that protruding at the bottom of her gown. In Julius' tiny handwriting, it wrote:  
_In case things like these happen,  
Make a wish (Clothes related only)._  
Her eyebrows pulled downward in confusion. Clothes related only? How was that supposed to help with anything?

Ace abruptly yanked at her and she clenched harder onto her dead outfit. Carelessly, she yelled "I wish that I had different, clean clothes on!"

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"hm? Alice just made her wish" Julius' head rose half-heartedly, having been rudely interrupted of his nap. An image flashed across his mind as he saw the counterpart tower and six people present within it. He unfortunately could not identify Alice among the six. He clapped his two palms twice to follow-up on the wish 'clothes, clean, different...' he dozed off, leaving the incoherent phrases unfinished and his face fell onto his desk as sleep overcame him. The magic flowing through his fingers freely

And uncontrollably.

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One, heavy clouds started to swirl inside the room, a certain steam that made the air difficult to breathe in.

Two, something wrapped itself around the role holders in the seed of light, compressing tighter and tighter.

Three, a male scream cutting the confused statements of the role holders trapped inside the room. They blinked against the dispersing fog, wondered and inquired similar questions:

"What the HELL?" Blood stared downward in disbelief, grasping at the velvet cloth viciously.

A beige gown had replaced his usual clothes, decorated with sequins and an intricate design trailing up his waist up to the cleavage of his dress that shown off his manly chest. The top of his dress drooped at the lack of 'feminine' details and his puffy sleeves could not fit his arms too well. In fact, they were already showing signs of rip marks. A draft blew against his exposed legs and he shivered slightly.

"What the fuc* is going on?" The Mad Hatter growled as he felt the wind brush unfamiliarly against the hairs of his scalp. With trembling fingers, he touched the empty space above his head and felt a small folded cloth. He ripped it off his hair and brought it before him, finding a jet-black ribbon with a grey swirl design. He flung it to the ground, stepping furiously on it.

'Where. Is. My. Hat?'

It seems the others had been affected as well. They all had matching dresses, varying in colors that they normally wore on a daily basis. However, two had managed to stay calm despite the unusual case, if you exclude Nightmare's own loss.

"Nightmare-sama, are you alright?" Gray called out for his master whom sat crossed-legged at the corner silently. The sudden fog had cleared out enough for the ex-assassin to spot him and relief flooded over him.

"Gray, my eye patch is gone and there appears to be a big ribbon on my face" Nightmare grumbled "I can't see a thing"

"Nightmare-sama, just stay where you are"

"There seems to be a breeze and I can feel both of my legs"

"That, Nightmare-sama is a skirt" said Gray as he observed his flowing gown with a blush.

"Incredible, I feel both naked _and_ clothed in the lower areas"

The conversation took place amidst the racket echoing in the room. Ever since the cloth had snaked around him, Boris had been shouting in pain, clutching at his tiny abdomen.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! My stomach! I can't breathe! Something's got me! I can't breathe! Aghhhhhh!"

"Boris, it's just a corset. Keep quiet!" Boris shoved off the dormouse uncaringly and was running his hands up and down his stomach in search of a 'zipper'.

He only concealed his stomach at formal occasions, the rest of the time; he enjoyed releasing his abdominal muscle to the brush of the wind. Now that it was compressed to an inch smaller than what he was used to, it hurt like hell.

"Shut up, you stupid cat!" Blood growled, fingers plugged to his ears. It was bad enough that they were all in female garments, worse that he had lost his beloved hat, now he had to endure the terrible noise emitting from the cat.

"IT HUUUUUUUUUUUUUURTS!" the Cheshire cat complained endlessly, clawing at the material of this newfound 'corset'. Gray sauntered over to the cat's side; assuring Pierce to step back.

"Let me" he gathered the center of Boris' dress into a single fistful and stripped the whole thing off him in one swift movement. Pierce blushed at the sight of Boris' underwear, no longer male boxers but small feminine panties. The substitution of clothes had been incredible. The Prime Caterpillar then retrieved his sword and sliced through the corset, Boris' stomach flopping out.

"Thanks, Gray" he exhaled sharply, breathing continuously without a moment's pause

"Not a problem and now-" he jogged over to the door and after adjusting the sword to fit in his palm properly, he smashed the wooden entrance and it instantly split in half. The wood crumbled to the ground causing a large cloud of dust to poof out.

Nightmare's eyebrows lifted suspiciously above the black bow strapped over his orbs "Gray, what was that sound?"

"Why didn't you do that before?" Blood inquired, stepping over the rubble to cross to the other side, lifting his gown over his legs uncomfortably.

Gray said "Nightmare-sama doesn't like to waste money to buy a new door, so I guess this little action is going to cost me my salary"

"The door? You broke the door? Gray, answer me!"

"Let's go" the dark-headed pair tiptoed into the other room, Gray gripping his sword whilst Blood pointing in front of him a borrowed pistol. Their eyes gazed about the room for any sight of red or bright blue. Boris and Pierce cautiously followed, Nightmare slung over the dormouse for support.

"Where are they?" the cat asked impatiently. But they had no answer. Nightmare's desk was empty, the dress was gone, the room had retained its messy arrangement of furniture from the time they had left but no one knew the whereabouts of the mischievous knight or the tiny foreigner.

**AN: Rata-rat in Spanish**

**The reviewers that made this two-post chapter possible: Minori-chan, Somewhere Nowhere, pacchiri cherii, Stargirl of the Crescent Moon, DazingDreamer, Space Whales and ThePandaHat [I think you now owe me cookies ;), I simply adore chocolate chip :D]**

**I thank all of you _so much_. Credits for Minori-chan for mentioning the chp title.  
**

**Anywho, I need to know who to use as a pairing for the final chapter. You got any of the role holders in Chapter 9-10. Just a little fluff, I've thought up an ending for each. :D All else fails, I'm ending this without any romance :( **

**I'm dragging it, aren't I? Might as well just stuff the stupid cake in her mouth, save her the drama.**

**Sigh* I have ZERO sense of humor and its painful to watch. :( I can't say I didn't try :)**

**Review=Motivation=Next Chapter (which is unlikely without the rest)**

**Oh and here's the deal, I won't update unless I know at least ten people are still reading this (in any way possible). It'll make me know I'm not just typing down blah.**

**Ja Ne :P -W.M.  
**


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